The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Dr John Hood and Mr Ajit Gulabchand, Chairman of Lavasa Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the sidelines of World Economic Forum in Davos. The MOU was signed for the establishment of the Oxford University India Business Centre (OUIBC).
Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, Chief Minister of Maharashtra (India) was the Chief Guest for the signing ceremony. Mr Kamal Nath, Union Minister Commerce and Industry, Government of India was the Guest of Honour at the occasion.
The Centre to be located at University's Saïd Business School in Oxford, will address major business issues through collaborative research between academics in Oxford, India and elsewhere.
Alongside research and teaching at Oxford, the centre will develop a range of custom and open executive education programmes which will be delivered in India through a new facility in Lavasa, Maharastra (India). The facility is part of a new hill station being developed by Lavasa corporation Ltd, part of the Hindustan Construction Company. According to Lavasa, the scoping study with companies located in India and elsewhere is underway to begin development of these education programmes. The programme will be first delivered in early 2010.
OUIBC has been generously supported by Mr Ajit Gulabchand, Chairman of Lavasa Corporation. As part of his support of the Centre, Mr Gulabchand is to endow a new chair - The Ajit Gulabchand Professor of Indian Business Studies at the University of Oxford. The new Professor will be based at the Saïd Business School in Oxford, and it is envisaged that the appointment will be made for the next academic year.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Ajit Gulabchand of Lavasa Corporation, said, "It is a matter of great pride for Lavasa to have partnered with the most respected educational institution in the world. This will open new paradigms of educational and managerial excellence for students in both countries."
"Our collaboration with the University of Oxford is in line with Lavasa's vision to provide an appropriate atmosphere for enabling high quality research. Lavasa will adequately support the infrastructural needs of the new executive education activities. The new Centre is in line with Lavasa's concept of Live, Work, Learn and Play", Mr Gulachand added.
Professor Colin Mayer, Dean of the Saïd Business School said: "We are enormously grateful to Lavasa Corporation, in making the establishment of this important Centre possible. The purpose of the Centre is to address major business policy questions in India through collaborative research. We will also develop a range of executive education programmes for practitioners to be delivered in India."
Established in 1996 the Saïd Business School is an integral part of Oxford University, the School embodies the academic rigour and forward thinking that has made Oxford a world leader in education. The School has an established reputation for research in a wide range of areas, including finance and accounting, organisational analysis, international management, strategy and operations management. In the Financial Times ranking of MBA programmes (Jan 07), Saïd again improved its position and is ranked 19th in the world.
Lavasa is a hill station being developed by Hindustan Construction Company. A complete new town is being developed amidst 12,500 acres of land, 3 hours drive from Mumbai and 1 hour from Pune. Lavasa aims to host global leaders in hospitality, tourism, education, healthcare, business research and industry.
