A delegation of engineering faculty and administrators, led by Dean Yannis C. Yortsos, on Feb.26 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the USC Viterbi School and the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad.
The MOU outlined a commitment from both schools to begin developing joint academic programs, including undergraduate and graduate educational exchanges and internships, faculty exchanges, distance learning programs, and other collaborative activities in scientific areas of mutual interest to both institutions.
Viterbi Dean Yannis Yortsos and IIT-Hyderabad Director Uday Desai signed an MOU in Bangalore
The agreement builds on global collaborations USC Viterbi maintains with other Indian institutions including IIT - Kharagpur and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and also other agreements signed on the current trip. An MOU was signed by Yortsos with IIT-Delhi earlier in the trip, and a university MOU was signed by Nikias with IIT-Bombay
The signing took place at the USC Forum on Globalization and Innovation held in Bangalore, immediately following a panel on globalization moderated by Yortsos that included IIT-Hyderabad Director Uday Desai, who signed for his school.
Other panelists included Srinath Batni, director and head, Delivery Excellence and a member of the board of Infosys Technologies; Kumar Sivarajan, chief technology officer, Tejas Networks; and James G. Ellis, dean, USC Marshall School of Business.
The globalization panel was preceded by a panel on innovation moderated by Elizabeth Daley, dean, USC School of Cinematic Arts, with panelists N. Balakrishnan, associate director, Indian Institute of Science; Ajai Chowdhry, founder, HCL and Chairman, HCL Infosystems; and Ernest J. Wilson III, dean, USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism.
Also present from the Viterbi School were Kelly Goulis, associate dean for Master's and Professional Programs, and Cauligi "Raghu" Raghavendra, senior associate dean for Strategic Initiatives, as part of a week-long USC leadership delegation visit to India.
Viterbi India Office Director Sudha Kumar lights traditional lamp at Bangalore office opening
The previous day, alumni and friends attended the opening of the Viterbi School of Engineering India office. USC President C. L. Nikias gave opening remarks. Yortsos described the office as a embassy and in his speech recognized the contributions of Raghavendra and Goulis. The event was attended by industry leaders, academicians, USC trustees, senior staff and alumni. Playwright Girish Karnad spoke on the occasion.
And Viterbi India Office Director Sudha Kumar lit a traditional Indian lamp signifying the opening of the Bangalore office. "The custom of lighting a lamp has deep intellectual and spiritual significance in India," she told the gathering. "Just as a lamp lights up a dark room dispelling darkness, knowledge lights up the mind and dispels ignorance.
"The wonderful thing is that a lamp can light up a thousand different lights and not get diminished. It just makes the world brighter. It is my hope that this lighting of the lamp signifies sharing of knowledge, cooperation and mutual exchange of ideas between India and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering."
Bangalore office opening
