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Anna University, Chennai is expanding its global reach. On Wednesday, its Syndicate approved a proposal to set up an off-shore campus in Dubai. From the coming academic year, undergraduate courses in four departments � automobile, chemical, electrical and civil engineering � will be offered at the new campus, Vice-Chancellor P. Mannar Jawahar said on Thursday.
Initially, university faculty members will head for Dubai to set up the new facilities and teach the initial classes. A separate campus outside Dubai's Knowledge Village is being set up, added Dr. Jawahar.
On Thursday, the university joined hands with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to offer its first ever joint Ph.D degree. Initially, ten students from the Indian side and ten from the American side will be admitted to joint degree programme to encourage research in five thrust areas: biotechnology, nanotechnology, information technology and telecommunications, transportation and construction engineering.
"Both universities share expertise in each of these areas," said David Allen, Dean of the College of Engineering at UNL, adding that crystal growth research was a top priority, since faculty members working in this area from the two institutions have already crafted a relationship.
"A student joining the PhD program here will spend two years of research here and two years there. He will have supervisors in both places," explained Dr. Jawahar. UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman promised that Indian students admitted under this program would be given assistantships at UNL to meet their expenses.
Applications will be accepted from 2009-10.
Exchange program
The MoU signed between UNL and Anna University on Thursday also provides for a faculty and student exchange program. This summer, four Anna University faculty members, four undergraduate students and four Ph.D students will visit UNL for up to one semester as part of the exchange program.
Meanwhile, Anna University has decided to hold a special convocation in early March as part of C.N. Annadurai's birth centenary celebrations. Honorary doctorates will be granted and the recipients will be named in a few days, Dr. Jawahar said.
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