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Duke and Shiv Nadar Universities to Cooperate on Educational, Research and Exchange Programs

The two universities will work together to develop educational, research and exchange programs

Duke University and Shiv Nadar University have agreed to work together to develop educational programs in India, representatives of both universities announced during a signing ceremony Thursday night at Duke's Nasher Museum of Art.The signing followed a speech by Shiv Nadar, the Indian entrepreneur and philanthropist whose foundation established Shiv Nadar University (SNU) in 2011.Located on a 286-acre campus in India's National Capital Region, SNU offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through its schools of engineering, natural sciences, humanities and social sciences, and plans to launch additional schools and programs in 2013 and beyond.Duke Provost Peter Lange and Nikhil Sinha, founding vice chancellor of SNU, signed an agreement outlining the two institutions' planned collaboration to establish teaching, research and exchange programs for students and faculty members at both institutions."Duke and Shiv Nadar University share a commitment to educating future global leaders, supporting original scholarship and research, and using knowledge in service to society," Lange said. "We look forward to working with Shiv Nadar University to create new opportunities for Duke's students and faculty members to engage deeply with India, while also supporting Shiv Nadar University's efforts to create transformational educational opportunities for Indian students."Following the signing of the university-wide agreement, Sinha and Martha Putallaz, executive director of Duke's Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP), signed an additional agreement to explore collaborative opportunities to identify and support the educational development of India's gifted youth as well as conduct much needed research in this area.Duke TIP, a nonprofit organization recognized as a world leader in gifted and talented education, has offered programs for gifted students in India since 2008. "We are very excited about our partnership with Duke University," said Sinha of SNU. "We're also excited about our collaboration with Duke's renowned Talent Identification Program that will have very strong relevance and resonance in India and will impact the entire education lifecycle of a student.  Duke and SNU share a commitment to the development of international higher education and our partnership is a concrete example of that commitment.""This agreement is an important step toward supporting the ambitions and potential of this critical population of students," Putallaz said. "We are excited that Shiv Nadar University shares our commitment to gifted education, and we look forward to working with the university to reach our mutual goals." Duke TIP's first collaborative program with SNU will take place in February 2013, when the two organizations will co-host a conference for Indian educators to share best practices in how to identify, plan curriculum for and evaluate the learning of gifted students.