Tata Group invites University of California and University of Cambridge students for Social Entrepreneurship internship

Add Review

MBAUniverse.com News Desk |
July 28, 2016
The Tata Group has announced the Tata International Social Entrepreneurship Scheme (TISES) for an international student internship programme with Tata Group’s community initiatives in India.

The Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) each with the University of California, Berkeley, USA and the University of Cambridge, UK.  The primary objective of TISES is to provide international students a chance to work in community initiative projects of the Tata Group in India and thereby promote international understanding, says the Tatas.      

The launch of the programme was jointly announced by Mr R Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director, Tata Sons Limited, along with Professor Alison Richard, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge and Mr. George Scharffenberger, Executive Director, Blum Center for Developing Economies of the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley).  

As part of the Tata International Social Entrepreneurship Scheme (TISES), the University of California, Berkeley and University of Cambridge will identify up to five students each from the undergraduate or higher study level, for an 8-week summer internship at Tata Group’s community initiative programmes. The MOUs signed between the Tata Group and the University of California, Berkeley and University of Cambridge stand for a period of three years.  

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. R Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director, Tata Sons Limited said, “The Tata Group has always been at the forefront of encouraging youth and providing them opportunities to innovate and develop leadership. TISES is an initiative to engage with students from abroad to help promote international understanding and bring in new ideas and perspectives to the existing Group community initiatives in India, as well as, provide these students unique learning opportunities.” 

Mr. George Scharffenberger, Executive Director, Blum Center for Developing Economies, University of California, Berkeley, said, ‘”The faculty and students of UC Berkeley enthusiastically welcome the launch of the Tata Group's innovative new student internship programme focused on social entrepreneurship. The name "Berkeley" is known throughout the world not only for excellence in education and research but also for a unique record of community engagement.  The latter we share with the Tata Group, laying the foundation for what will undoubtedly be a productive effort, benefiting those served by Tata's community initiatives but also reinforcing leadership skills and the appreciation of India and its people among the UC Berkeley community.” 

Professor Alison Richard, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge said, “We are delighted to be partnering Tata and Berkeley in enabling outstanding students to contribute in such a practical way, working with Indian communities.” 

UC, Berkeley is the flagship of the 10-campus University of California system with a total student population of about 35000, more than 40 interdisciplinary research units and 130 academic departments. It counts 20 Nobel Prize winners among past and present faculty, seven of whom are currently on the faculty. Named the best public university in USA for 2008 by U.S. News & World Report, it is the only school in USA to have produced more than 3,000 Peace Corps volunteers since the organization's inception in 1961. 

The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest universities in the world and one of the largest in the United Kingdom. Its reputation for outstanding academic achievement is known world-wide and reflects the intellectual achievement of its students, as well as the world-class original research carried out by the staff of the University and the Colleges.