University News Last updated 18 December 2019
Indian motorbike and cycle manufacturer Hero Group and BCU are collaborating to establish the Munjal BCU School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MBSI), STEAMhouse India, to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in the State of Punjab. The project will be located in the city of Ludhiana and will support the needs of the state’s business / industrial sector.
The MBSI aims to drive innovation in the state’s industrial clusters and promote entrepreneurship, and tap into the state’s reservoirs of manpower, as well as boost the potential of knowledge-intensive businesses.
Many students in this area of India have ambitions to enter higher education and then emigrate. Generally, they are reluctant to remain in the Punjab because of the perception that the training and education on offer isn’t up to the standards expected of an industrialised state.
Given this scenario, MBSI has the potential to change mind-sets, redesigning the higher education offering in a way that could lead to more meaningful student outcomes.
The school plans to take a STEAM-oriented (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) approach to higher education in a similar vein to BCU’s Digbeth pilot. The idea is to use the strengths of each of these streams to power innovation and productivity. To do this effectively, MBSI proposes to collaborate with some of the well-established names pioneering STEAM-based higher education around the world.
Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Julian Beer said: “After nearly nine months of negotiations, I am delighted to announce that BCU and the Hero Group, through the Munjal Foundation, are working towards establishing the Munjal BCU Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in 2020, which is effectively our STEAMhouse in India.
“This is great news for the West Midlands and Birmingham’s relationship with India, and a real trade connection post general election and potentially Brexit, with two powerhouses of the Commonwealth.
“STEAM has the ability to transform economies across the globe and by developing this way of thinking and this way of working we can make a real difference to businesses and communities worldwide, and this partnership is a real step forward in this journey.”
Pictured: Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Julian Beer, Vice-Chancellor Professor Philip Plowden and Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Alison Honour visiting the Punjab during Progressive Punjab Investment Summit 2019 to finalise the details of the proposed MBSI.