At a time where distances are becoming truly marginal and communities across the globe look to connect with each other, Cliff Allan, vice chancellor of Birmingham City University finds himself in India to further educational ties between his institute and several Indian institutes and to formally open the university’s first Indian office in New Delhi.
Asked whether BCU’s association with colleges in India is aided by the relations the two nations have shared, he nods approvingly, “It is of course an immediate interest to connect with India because of our historical association and also with our local association with the Indian population.” Allan states that BCU will bring to India a whole lot of opportunities and a great deal of exciting new innovations. “A common thread that binds India and us is a passion for innovation, particularly in the field of technology, which is something we intend to pursue with great zeal,” he says. His argument is only aided by the collaborations that BCU has made with the Indian universities. These include development and construction of cars with their Indian counterparts to participate in the Electric Formula Race Car- F24 during the coming months. There is also an attempt to delve deeper into several nouvelle technologies, such as augmented reality and simulation in a 3D virtual environment. The University, in association with the Birmingham School of Media, has also collaborated with The Hindu and the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, to fund two scholarships. A staunch believer of the fact that administrators must bear a keen ear and should be good listeners, Allan shares with us his mantra for success, “I employ people who are better than me.,” he says with a smile. He admits that there are challenges to innovating.
“Sometimes there are people who do not want to change. It becomes necessary that one goes to their level, understands their perspective. What I like to do is go to the shop floor and work at the shop floor, to understand people. You have to engage.” On the subject of dynamism of education and its multi fold aspects, he finds himself only slightly concerned. “There is a necessity involved, particularly in the U.K.. The courses have changed dynamically over the years and we intend to make sure that these changes do find a place in our course curriculum. We provide courses for game and app development, all fields which have emerged only in the recent years.
