MARG signs MoU with Virginia Tech

Updated on: Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Chennai: Making the first move after the Centre allowed universities to set up their campuses in India, MARG Limited, an infrastructure development company, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US-based Virginia Tech to establish a university campus, 'Virginia Tech MARG Swarnabhoomi, India' at Marg Swarnabhoomi, a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) here.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr G R K Reddy, Chairman and Managing Director, MARG Ltd said ''the MoU with Virginia Tech is a proud moment for us, as we will be a part of promoting world class education through the university, which will help address the global opportunities at large.'' He also said MARG Swarnabhoomi had been designed to be an aspirational habitat based on the principles of new urbanism, where business, living and learning would coexist in a stress free atmosphere. ''At MARG, we strongly believe in inclusive living, and are confident that this initiative will help in enhancing and enriching the lives of the future generations,'' he said.

The Virginia Tech University at MARG Swarnabhoomi campus would offer advanced education and research in the fields of Nanoscale science and engineering, Nano Biotechnology, Biotechnology, Information Technology, Automotive engineering.

The university campus was being designed on the lines of Virginia Tech USA, with the objective to deliver programs in India to foster graduate education as well as scientific and technological engagement through a model of collaborative research, education and outreach that would address current and future global issues and opportunities.

Dr Charles W Steger, President of Virginia Tech, said ''this is a historic moment for Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech, India, will create a place in India where engineers, students, and high tech science professionals from the United States and India will work together and learn from each other. Together, they will create things that none of them could do alone.'' ''We are excited to be at MARG Swarnabhoomi in creating a unique platform for our endeavour in providing knowledge and instilling self-confidence among tomorrowâ€™s youth. Besides aiming to achieve a high standard of academic proficiency, we will strive towards holistic growth for every student of Virginia Tech MARG Swarnabhoomi to create the new innovation leaders of tomorrow,'' he said.

Virginia Tech would also set up a library, provide study materials and offer supervision and management at the campus. The campus would feature innovation centres which would draw upon Virginia Tech research resources such as the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech. The centres would work with industry to capitalize upon innovation research and emerging market opportunities in India and the region.

The campus will be managed and operated by a joint Trust in the 'Knowledge Hub' of MARG Swarnabhoomi. MARG proposes to develop the required infrastructure for the Trust to establish the university.

MARG signs MoU with Virginia Tech

More Education news