SHEMBLOG

39 participants have enrolled themselves in an exclusive programme that will be held at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad — IIM-A. The basic ideology is to improve upon the skills needed for formulating better public policies. This postgraduate programme is also called the PGP-PMP and the core of its students are government servants. This initiative is aimed at addressing the need for better public management among the government employees. In fact, there is discussion in the Administrative Reforms Commission of diverting civil services towards the private sector too. This also marks the coming together of the government and corporate sectors.

Indira Gandhi National Open University — IGNOU has introduced a new course related to the study of environment called the ‘Appreciation Course on Environment’. This course would be offered from the session beginning in January 2009. The course would be enriched with technological inputs like use of multimedia and would be developed in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The course is aimed towards increasing environmental awareness and updating professionals in this regard including engineers, doctors, planners and in general, the citizens who are committed to the cause of environment and its conservation.

Eligibility for seeking admission to this course is graduation from a recognized university. The duration is only of three months and the language medium would be both in English and Hindi. The prospectus/admission information can be sought from —

Registrar SR&D, IGNOU, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi - 68.

Hyderabad is on the verge of getting an international civil aviation university. Concordia University of Canada would be setting up the aviation-themed University. In all probability, the University would start offering its various courses in 2009. The campus would be set-up around 2010 in India’s first aerospace-oriented special economic zone in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.

It has been proposed that it will be called the International Civil Aviation University (ICAU). The project would seek investment in the range of $40 to 50 million. The University’s initial programmes would include B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, M.Sc. Aeronautical Engineering, B.Sc. Aviation Management, M.Sc. Air Transport Management and Aviation MBA. The University would span across Hyderabad, Montreal and Toulouse.