A Chinese delegation from Tianjin University of Technology visited Welingkar, exploring how the two can work together in fields Innovation, R & D and similar arenas.
Sino –Indian relations have always been grabbing public attention for variety of reasons. Recently Foreign minister SM Krishna visited the neighbour for boosting relations and inauguration of the new Indian Embassy building in Beijing or going further back the arrival of Chinese state Councillor and top diplomat Dai Bingguo, China’s Special Representatives on boundary talks. But this time the engagement appears to be more cerebral and academic.
A delegation from Tianjin University of Technology, China visited Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research on Thursday, February 9 2012. The delegation headed by the Prof Ma Jianbiao, President, Tianjin University of Technology included Yuan Zhihao, Dean, Schools of Materials Science and Engineering, Wang Jinsong, Dean, School of Computer and Communication and Gao Yongge, Vice- Dean, College of International Education. The delegation is already in talks with University of Mumbai for garnering mutual consent on collaboration in different areas of higher education.
Dr Rajpal Hande, Director, Board of College and University Development, University of Mumbai and Dr Uday Salunkhe, Group Director, Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research represented the Indian side. Prof Ma Jianbiao in his address said that China is keen to have international concords with the nations that have established levels of academic excellence in the field of nanotechnology, computers, innovation, and exchange programs along with special thrust on R&D.
And this is where the two organisations strike a common chord, said Dr Salunkhe speaking on the occasion. Acknowledging the efficacious structural framework of Chinese academia and the way it is evolving to meet the rising demands of global workforce along with the due importance it gives to innovation, experimentation, application and R& D, he said he would definitely be happy to have such collaborations. He said he looked forward to a joint process of innovation aimed at SMEs, incubation centre, student & faculty projects, research orientations and ultimately setting up of centres of “China & India Innovation” i.e. “Chinovation”.
It is worth sharing that China has a fair number of campuses by foreign universities on its soil. China closely follows US when it comes to number of papers published on science and technology. Going back to November 2011, Dr Salunkhe had visited China as a part of a Mumbai University delegation to explore the possibility of collaboration in the field of higher education with thrust on innovation, concords for exchange programs, research, nanotechnology, computers and globalization in academics.
The delegation had visited three universities – Tianjin University, Tianjin University of Technology and Nankai University.One of the significant decisions reached during the visit was to establish Confucius institutes at Mumbai University to understand socio, cultural & economic development of China as well as drivers of growth. TUT has already established a Confucius Institute in Poland in collaboration with Adam Mickiewicz University. The merits accruing from such international collaborations not only go to the students of the University but also percolate down to all the affiliated colleges of the University.
China is one of the fast emerging Asian powers and Welingkar leadership would definitely explore the vistas open before it for collaborations in field of education particularly research, experimentation, innovation and technological epiphanies. It is a widely acknowledged fact that international collaborations are going to be the stepping stones in the era of globalization. 
