Yale president for closer Indian ties, more visibility

NEW DELHI: Yale University president Richard Levin made a strong pitch to improve visibility of America''s Ivy League school in India announcing new partnerships and commitment to research collaboration with India. Yale, as part of its research activity, would work on "emergency management" to tackle tragic events such as tsunami and earthquakes.
Bullish on India''s economic growth prospects Levin said recent changes to Patent Act in India would open new research opportunities and drug development for Indian companies.Already over 70 MNCs have established research centres in India.
"My objective is to explore further research collaboration in India and want to have more Indian students to study at Yale," said Levin. Visits by top US university officials to India are becoming a routine activity.
On Monday, Yale forged a partnership with Jawarhalal Nehru University in Delhi which would become the eighth partner in Yale’s Fox International fellowship programme, a graduate-student exchange programme.
Levin said Yale is tying up with the Great Lakes Institute of Management in Chennai to fund management research centre.
Yale’s Chennai connection is interesting as the initial funding for the university came from Elihu Yale — who made his money as clerk of the British East India Tea Company in Madras in the late 1600s.