Offering highest quality academic experience while encouraging bold, independent thinking and tackling some of the biggest issues the world faces. Interview with Mr. Dipankar Chakraborty.

In the interview with Mr. Dipankar Chakraborty, who is the India Institute Country Director, University of Birmingham, he talks about how he was passionate to build a career in the cross-border trade and development aspects and his achievements. He goes on to focus on the partnerships between University of Birmingham and India. He then gives a highlight on the rich exposure University has to offer to the students, and how the university firmly believes in Diversity and equality. The university keeps updating its curriculum to meet the industry standards, and equip students with the necessary knowledge, transferable skills, to succeed in their choice of fields. Talking about COVID-19, he highlights how researchers at the University are playing a leading role in combating the pandemic. He brings into light that how the university has taken measures to cater the requirements and how they have beautifully dealt with the situation.

I was passionate about building a career in the cross-border trade and development aspects

Having completed my MBA in International Business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, where I was a silver medalist, I was passionate about building a career, which involved working in cross-border trade, investment and development issues. Prior to my current role, I worked at The British High Commission’s international trade department for six years in the embassies of Kolkata and Chandigarh. I led a geographically dispersed national team and was responsible for promoting exports from the UK to India in various sectors. This role helped me develop a broader understanding of the UK-India relationship, its drivers and unique opportunities. I have also significant experience of working in the Indian private sector across diverse industries such as manufacturing (CDE Asia), management consulting (Frost & Sullivan), media (The Times of India) and tourism (Thomas Cook). 

The University of Birmingham India Institute is helping to forge new connections between Birmingham and India

The University of Birmingham’s relationship with India is a longstanding one, commencing in 1909 with the first cohort of Indian students attending the University to study for degrees in Mining and Commerce. Since then, the University has provided education to around 2,000 outstanding Indian students. The University is the only Russell Group University to have an Indian-born Chancellor: Lord Karan Bilimoria. Given the University’s rich history and connections with India, it launched the University of Birmingham India Institute in 2018, to work on common goals and help address some of the shared challenges facing both the countries. The India Institute aims to provide a focal point to deliver impactful research, create innovative education initiatives and provide a bridge between the UK and India.

One of our flagship programmes is the India Institute Fellowship Scheme, which supports the visit of researchers to and from India, to spend a period of time at Indian institutions (for Birmingham academics) or at the University of Birmingham (for Indian academics). The Fellowship Scheme aims to promote research collaboration, develop individual capacity through international training and development opportunities; and build sustainable partnerships between the University of Birmingham and institutions in India.

Another important activity is the India Institute Annual Guest Lecture series, which is delivered by very high-profile personalities. The inaugural lecture was delivered by Dr S Jaishankar. In 2019, we were honoured to host Dr Hardeep Singh Puri, a Cabinet Minister in the current Government, at our campus for the event. During the lecture, he announced the award of Government of India’s prestigious Guru Nanak Chair to the University of Birmingham. 

A student studying at UoB will gain a rich exposure to the field of academics they are passionate about

Benjamin Franklin had once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the highest interest” and I cannot agree more. Education is a passport to the future and a UK education opens doors, wherever you go in the world. The UK has been the preferred choice for some of the most important minds in history.

A student studying at UoB will gain a rich exposure to academics who are passionate about their field and in many cases are very influential within their sector. We are consistently ranked in the World Top 100 (QS rankings), making us among the top 1% of universities across the globe, and are a founding member of the elite Russell Group of research-intensive universities. We have been awarded a GOLD Standard in the latest UK Government’s Teaching and Excellence Framework which implies that the University provides a fantastic learning environment with the latest facilities. Our research, characterised by a tradition of innovation, has made an impact on people’s lives for over a century. We are honoured that eleven of our alumni and staff have been recognised with Nobel Prizes for their work. So, students will have the opportunity to learn from the very best and be involved in path-breaking innovations.

Secondly, students will have the option of a wide variety to choose from 900 courses across all levels of study. There are more than 250 societies, student groups, societies and associations. As a student, you automatically become a member of the Guild of Students, which is one of the oldest and largest Students Union in the country. The Guild helps you develop skills outside of study, have fun, meet new people, represent you to the University and make sure you get the best from Birmingham.

Thirdly, students will get the benefit of living in one of the best campuses in the UK. Very few people are aware of the fact that Birmingham has more canals than Venice and more open parks than Paris! Our 276-acre campus in Edgbaston is in the midst of one of the most transformational redevelopments. The University has already delivered a number of major projects designed to enhance the student experience.

We make sure to update our curriculum according to the industry norms and requirements

The University has partnerships with a multitude of global companies – such as PWC, KPMG, Accenture, IBM, Jaguar Land Rover to name but a few. This enables us to keep abreast of what industry requires and we can alter our curriculum accordingly. All of our courses that have accreditation have to gain approval from the various accrediting bodies (CIM, AMBA, EQUIS, AACSB, RICS etc) before we can use their certification.

Diversity and equality are integral part of our ethos

The University of Birmingham is England’s first civic university, where students from all religions, backgrounds and gender were accepted on an equal basis. Thus, diversity and equality are very much a part of our ethos. We are also a truly global community – about one-third of our students and a quarter of our faculty come from different nationalities. We believe our diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of our academic mission. We provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of the University community, from developing support for students who are carers to our interfaith events, we also offer dedicated disability services, a wide range of support groups and a multi-faith chaplaincy. The University holds a Bronze Athena SWAN Charter award and are proud to be members of Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index and Global Champions.

Our collaborative output with India partners has grown by almost 50% over the last 5 years

Given the current pandemic situation, I feel it would be naive to plan for a ten-year horizon. Over the last 2 years, we have developed high quality research partnerships and engagements with Government Departments, public and private institutions of higher learning. Our collaborative output with India partners has grown by almost 50% over the last 5 years. It’s not just about quantity: the quality of this joint work is outstanding. These publications are cited almost 9 times the world average: over 4 times as much as Birmingham’s overall average, and far more than our US and China collaborations. One of the top priorities will be to do more together in areas aligned to the common research priorities of India and the University.

The Commonwealth Games in 2022 will be held in Birmingham and we would like to leverage the occasion to showcase our world class capabilities in Sports Education and Training. We were the first UK university to instigate a Physical Education degree programme in the 1940s and are now recognised as one of the world’s top universities for Sports Science (QS World Rankings). We have invested £60 Million into building state of the art sports facilities, and are hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games Hockey and Squash competitions. This is a first for any University and we are both proud and excited. The Commonwealth Games event will be another priority.

We equip students with the necessary knowledge, transferable skills, to succeed in their choice of fields

The University of Birmingham is ranked in the top 5 in the UK for graduate employability, according to the Highfliers publication 2020. Internationally, the QS World University rankings has ranked us in world top 100 for employability. From the moment our students arrive we strive to equip them with the necessary knowledge, transferable skills, and confidence to go on to succeed in their chosen fields. We have invested £5 million in the expansion of our student employability services, our unique Careers Network guidance service and access to mentoring from some of our most successful alumni. Our students have also benefited from bursaries to support their development through work experience and national award-winning internships, along with placements in the UK and around the world.

The greatest strength of the university lies in its intensive research abilities

I feel the University’s greatest strength is its research intensiveness. Research creates new knowledge and benefits millions of human lives. As a University, we support a research agenda that is genuinely transformative and makes an impact on people’s lives. I have already mentioned earlier about how research at the University led to some of the discoveries like: organ transplants, pacemakers, plastic heart valves, structure of DNA and others. As per the UK Government’s Research Excellence Framework reports, 81% of all research is rated as world leading or internationally excellent and 87% of research activity has global impact.

Like all leading institutions, we are playing a strong role in combating COVID-19. Our researchers are at the forefront of several national and international initiatives. The University set up a testing centre able to screen 10,000 people a day, and our immunology researchers have developed a highly sensitive new antibody test able to detect those who have had the virus, even those who had only minor symptoms. Our biomedical engineers have designed and trialled new protective equipment and our clinical trials teams are coordinating trials of a number of new interventions to lessen the severe symptoms experienced by some patients. Our oncologists have joined forces with other Universities to launch a registry to track the impact of the virus on cancer patients, the first of its kind in the world.

The pandemic has brought in a change in the process of recruitment

Covid-19 has, and will change the face of recruitment now and in the future, much of our recruitment efforts are currently performed on-line and whilst this will never replace the personal touch, it still enables potential and existing students to obtain vital information for their decision making. Over the next few months and years, we will develop a strategy to enable us to provide a mix of both virtual and personal recruitment contact, we will continue to provide webinars and where possible physical presentations.

Our courses are ranked at the top, which gives us a cutting edge over other institutions

According to QS World rankings, the University has 24 programmes within the World Top 100. The list of Top 50 are mentioned below while a further 17 subject areas ranked in the Top 100 globally include: Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering, Modern Languages, Psychology, Law, and Medicine.

• Sports related subjects (6th)
• Dentistry (13th)
• Development Studies (36th)
• Education (36th)
• English Language and Literature (34th)
• Sports-Related Subjects (6th)
• Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies (26th)

According to the Complete University Guide 2020 rankings, the following programmes are in Top 10 in the UK

• Chemical Engineering (5)
• Creative Writing (3)
• Drama, Dance and Cinematics (4)
• English (9)
• Materials Technology (8)
• Music (5)
• Physics and Astronomy (5)
• Physiotherapy (6)
• Social Policy (4)
• Social Work (5)

We are continuously monitoring the impact and outbreak of the pandemic and taking necessary actions

We are monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and its impact, and doing all we can to make safe and reassure our staff and students. The safety and wellbeing of our staff, students, and community is always our highest consideration, so we have closed our campus to all but essential staff and those students who are unable to return to their homes. We have also introduced online teaching and assessment so that our students can continue to learn and develop, even if off campus, whether in the UK or their home countries.

Our decision on starting a new term will reflect the latest advice from all the organisations in-charge in the pandemic

All University activities are currently due to operate as normal in September 2020. However, the situation is dynamic and this may be later updated or changed even while this has been published. I can confirm that our decision on starting a new term will reflect the latest advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, World Health Organisation, Public Health England and other sources including local partners. I would recommend future students to closely monitor our FAQ page where information is being regularly updated.

We have introduced online teaching and assessment for our existing students

We have introduced online teaching and assessment for our existing students. For final year Undergraduate students, or students on a Postgraduate Taught programme who are due to complete their degrees this year, our approach has been designed to ensure ‘no detriment’ and also ‘reduced pressure’. We have been mindful of the needs to both reduce pressures on students, and also take into account the many personal challenges that will be facing staff who will be marking assessments and administering the processes behind assessment. We want to ensure that as many students as possible get the best chance to secure the best outcome.

There has been no decision yet on access to digital classrooms for future students but online provisions are being developed should the pandemic continue to affect campus activities. We are monitoring the situation closely and will be following government advice. I would recommend future students to closely monitor our FAQ page where information is being regularly updated.