Gilchrist now wears an academic hat

Updated on: Monday, October 26, 2009

Chennai: Adam Gilchrist, Australian cricketer, wears a different hat now. After retiring from Test cricket, he has become an ambassador for the University of Wollongong (UOW) and its Innovation Campus.

Now, on a visit to India with University of Wollongong vice-principal (Administration) Chris Grange, Gilchrist told about his mission to meet the business community for entering into strategic partnerships with Indian companies towards promoting innovative business models of higher education that could benefit both countries in the long run.

As a first step, both Gilchrist and Chris Grange met some key industry leaders in Chennai today and expressed their desire to have similar meetings in Pune on October 26, Mumbai on October 27 and Delhi on October 28.

Last September, Gilchrist visited India with UOW’s Vice-Chancellor Prof Gerard Sutton for partnerships with Indian information and communication technology (ICT) companies to establish Australian operations in Wollongong at the Innovation Campus.

Gilchrist, during his first visit to India in his new avatar, had reportedly said he had been greatly impressed by the interest that Indian corporate chiefs had shown in opportunities at the Innovation Campus in UOW.

He had also said that the University of Wollongong would offer the Indian companies a proper Australian base.

“We had held discussions with 50 companies in India last year and a dozen companies this year and managed to sign MoUs with two companies for partnerships in educational research and development,” Chris Grange said and added that one more Indian company would also sign the MoU with the UOW soon.

“The partnership will allow a strong flow of professional and qualified people to the university, besides promoting industry-academic partnership in a meaningful way,” he said.

Gilchrist now wears an academic hat

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