News from the world of Education: September 30, 2026

Admissions and scholarships

The University of Sheffield, the U.K., has launched the MSc in Artificial Intelligence for Life Sciences programme for 2027.

Eligibility: Open to holders of a three-year Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 60% from a recognised university, in a relevant subject and modules. Applicants should also have studied at least one module covering Probability, Statistics, or Quantitative Analysis. Degrees are accepted in Biosciences, Chemistry, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, engineering, Maths, Neuroscience, Physics and Psychology. Applicants must have a minimum IELTS score of 6.0, with no component below 5.5.

Scholarship: The university is offering the International Postgraduate Scholarship 2027, worth £7,000, to students from India, and will be awarded automatically as a tuition fee reduction to eligible students who accept their admission offer before July 6.

Details at https://tinyurl.com/bdht9xb5

Virohan has announced its Aspire for Healthcare Scholarship, to support students pursuing UG and PG Healthcare programmes through its university partners.

Eligibility: Every eligible student can receive ₹35,000, while students scoring 75% or above in class 12 can receive ₹75,000, and those scoring 90% or above, will receive ₹1.5 lakh. It is open to students pursing Physiotherapy; Optometry; Medical Laboratory Science; Medical Radiology and Imaging Technology; Anaesthesia and Operation Theatre Technology; Cosmetic Science; Healthcare Management and Artificial Intelligence; and MBA in Healthcare Management.

Details at https://tinyurl.com/uate6zhd

Events

SDNB Vaishnav College for Women has launched its Agentic AI Campus initiative by adopting Gemini Enterprise and Digital Campus on Google Cloud’s Agentic Premier Tier. It will equip students and faculty build practical AI skills for teaching, learning, research, and career-readiness.

Galgotias University hosted representatives from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) for discussions on academic-industry collaboration and career opportunities in Japan. Students learned about Japanese workplace culture, language skills and cultural understanding alongside technical expertise. The university also held the installation and pinning ceremony of its Rotaract Club, with actor Sonu Sood as chief guest.

A study published in PLOS Computational Biology by researchers from the University of Warwick found that wild indris, Madagascar’s singing lemurs, appear to use a vocal technique similar to opera singers when hitting high notes. The team analysed 83 videos of 19 indris, combining field recordings with motion-tracking technology to study their songs.

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) celebrated World Tourism Day 2026 under the theme Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism. It also launched an Internationalisation web portal offering information on global activities, student support, collaborations and emerging opportunities. Sharath K. Rao, Vice Chancellor, MAHE, was the chief guest. 

The East Point Nursing Institutions, including East Point College of Nursing, New Royal College of Nursing, and East Point School of Nursing,  held an orientation programme for the 2026–27 batches of B.Sc. Nursing and first-year General Nursing and Midwifery students. Pushpa Jannapa, Nursing Superintendent at St. Martha’s Hospital, Bengaluru, was the chief guest.

The 2026 USA Leadership Tour by India’s International Movement to United Nations (I.I.M.U.N.), took students across eight US cities, offering interactions with leaders in science, technology, business, academia and public policy. The programme included visits to companies such as Google, Microsoft, Nike, and Cisco, universities including Harvard, MIT and Stanford, and institutions such as the UN, World Bank, IMF and NASA.

Gujarat Science City and Micron organised a hands-on STEM workshop for government-school students in Ahmedabad, using experiments to explain concepts such as Newton’s third law, sound waves, force, energy, electricity, and basic circuits.

The Department of Pharmacology, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRMIST, and CELLINK conducted a hands-on workshop on advanced 3D bioprinting for drug discovery for 45 participants. They explored bioinks, 3D cell culture, tissue engineering and personalised medicine, with training on the CELLINK BIO X bioprinter, helping them gain practical exposure to 3D bioprinting and understand its potential applications in contemporary pharmaceutical and biomedical research

The Premia Academy hosted the Premia MUN 2026, with industry consultant and strategic technology leader Pramod Sukhija as the chief guest.

VNR VJIET, Hyderabad, has published a patent for a microstrip patch antenna-based design aimed at enabling non-invasive early detection of skin and breast cancer. The research team was led by K. Vidya Sagar, Professor, Department of Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, along with five researchers.

Prof. Arun A. Elias assumed charge as Director, Goa Institute of Management. He previously held senior academic and leadership roles at Fiji National University and Victoria University of Wellington, including positions at Victoria Business School.

EDII Ahmedabad campus conducted a faculty development programme for 40 educators from higher education institutions across Odisha, focusing on ways to encourage and support student entrepreneurship.

GSFC University established an IEEE Student to strengthen technology, innovation, and global exposure among students. Prof. Anil K. Roy, President, IEEE Sensors Council 2026-27, inaugurated it.

Stonehill International School, Bengaluru, hosted SISMUN 2026, themed Information Integrity in a Globalised World, bringing together over 180 student delegates from 15 schools across Bengaluru and beyond.

Sharda University’s Sharda Center for Semicon Technology and Semicon Gurukul conducted a Code to Chip – Complete ASIC Flow workshop, offering hands-on exposure to the ASIC design process using Cadence EDA tools. Industry experts from Qualcomm, Marvell Technology and NXP Semiconductors shared insights on verification, system modelling and physical design.

The Indian AI Research Organisation completed the first cohort of its Pramana: The Science of Purposeful AI SLM++ Bootcamp, giving emerging AI talent hands-on experience in building small AI systems. The 11-session programme covered deep learning, PyTorch, GPT-2, modern SLMs, Mixture-of-Experts, data engineering, scaling laws, and more.

Anant National University hosted Catalyst 2.0, the Institute of Indian Interior Designers’ Ahmedabad inter-college design festival, bringing together Architecture students, educators and industry professionals from across Gujarat. Designer and architectural restorer Sunita Kohli was the chief guest.

Ashoka University and Iron Pillar have launched the Iron Pillar Initiative in Global Learning (IGL) to expand international experiential learning, research, and career opportunities for students. The initiative includes planned collaborations with CERN, the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, Asian Development Bank Institute, and organisations in Bhutan for research and policy internships for students.

Leap has launched a PTE Prep Programme for students appearing for the Pearson Test of English (PTE). It covers Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening, with practice questions, computer-scored formats and 20 full-length mock tests. Available through the LeapScholar app, the programme starts at ₹199.

FOSTIIMA Business School, Delhi, hosted a three-day AICTE VAANI conference on advancing AI knowledge through regional languages, with the event conducted in Hindi. Industry experts discussed AI’s growing impact across sectors and society. FOSTIIMA Business School, Delhi, hosted a three-day AICTE VAANI conference on advancing AI knowledge through regional languages, with the event conducted in Hindi. Industry experts discussed AI’s growing impact across sectors and society.

Mohan Babu University (MBU), through its Centre for Distance and Online Education, has launched MBU Online, offering UG and PG programmes in Management, Commerce and Computer Applications, including MBA, MCA, BBA, BCA and BCom. The platform combines weekend live classes and over 400 hours of recorded lessons with AI-proctored exams, LMS support, digital research resources, virtual labs, and hands-on projects. Visit for details.

The Department of Design, IIT Guwahati and MIT Institute of Design, Pune, hosted the inaugural International Conference on Design and Innovation Studies (INDIS 2026) alongside Asia Design Week. Inaugurated by Assam Education and IT Minister Ranoj Pegu, chief guest, it focused on using design, technology and innovation to develop more accessible, equitable and sustainable solutions to complex societal challenges.

Awards, laurels, and rankings

K J Somaiya Institute of Management ranked 51st in Asia in the QS Asia MBA Rankings 2027, and was placed in the 301+ category in the QS Global MBA Rankings 2027.

IIM Bangalore’s Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), Post Graduate Programme in Business Analytics (PGPBA) and the Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP) ranked No. 1 in India in their respective categories in the QS Business Master’s and Global MBA Rankings for 2027. Globally, the PGP is ranked #31 in the QS Master’s in Management (MiM) 2027 rankings; the PGPBA secured #60 in the QS Master’s in Business Analytics rankings; and EPGP ranked #64 globally and #8 in the Asia-Pacific region in the QS Global MBA 2027 rankings. 

Hindustan Institute of Engineering Technology received the Excellence in Industry Oriented Aviation Education award and Orient Flights Aviation Academy received the Excellence in Aviation Education and Pilot Training award, at the third edition of the Times Now Education Summit and Education Excellence Awards 2026.

Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), University of Delhi, hosted the third Edition of the Shri Arun Jaitley Memorial Debate under the theme From Legacy to Leadership: Debating India’s Next Century. C. P. Radhakrishnan, Vice President of India, addressed the students. The English winners of the debate were Sahastrajit Pranshu Sinha and Srishti Sanjay of (SRCC) and runners-up were Keshavaditya Sharma and Akshat Vir Singh Mehta of Hindu College. The Hindi winners were Arya Dixit and Krishna Pathak of Lady SRCC, and the runners-up, Naivedya Shekhar Singh and Aditya Mishra of Hansraj College.

Team Robo Rockstar comprising Hetansh Agarwal of Jamnabai Narsee School, Aryaman Valia of Nita Mukesh Ambani Junior School, and Prithiv Shah of Don Bosco International School, Matunga, won  the gold medal in the RoboMission Elementary Category at the WRO Asia Pacific Open Championship 2026, held in Hyderabad.

Team Siddharth from Sanjivani Academy, Kopargaon, Maharashtra, won the Robo Sprint Challenge, while team Gear Gurus won the Robo Precision Challenge, at the 2026 edition of Blix-A-Thon, a school robotics competition in Goa, held in partnership with World STEM and Robotics Olympiad (WSRO). Team Maze Matrix from Omkar Cambridge International School, Dombivili, won in the Ultimate Maze challenge.

Collaborations

IIM Bangalore signed MoUs with the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation to strengthen public policy, entrepreneurship and innovation, supporting initiatives that promote inclusive and sustainable economic opportunities.

New Age Makers’ Institute of Technology (NAMTECH)has partnered with Manufacturing Engineering Technology (MET) and Intel Technology India Pvt. Ltd. to develop a future-ready workforce with foundational skills in AI and semiconductors. The collaboration will also roll out the Intel AI for Future Workforce programme to strengthen AI capabilities and employability skills.

Qlik signed an MoU with ICT Academy to expand access to practical, industry-aligned training in data literacy, analytics and AI for one million additional learners across India.

Acharya Bangalore B School, Bengaluru, has signed MoUs with International University of KyrgyzRepublic; Malaysia University of Science and Technology; University of Cape Coast, Ghana; and University of Ibadan, Elizade University and Godfrey Okoye University in Nigeria, to expand student progression and study-abroad opportunities, faculty exchanges, joint research, internships, industry engagement and hybrid academic programmes.

BITS Pilani and DIAT, Pune, hosted Defence and Aerospace Industry Day 2026 and signed 20 MoUs with industry partners including L&T PES, Paras Defence and Bharat Forge, for collaborative R and D, technology development and commercialisation. BITS Pilani partnered with Rane Group on R and D, skilling, student projects, internships, deep-tech incubation and placements.

CHRIST (Deemed to be University) and KL University have partnered with Salesforce to strengthen AI and digital skills. CHRIST will set up an AI Innovation Lab and Academia Centre of Excellence, while KL University will establish a Tableau Lab for hands-on learning in data analytics and AI.

MIT World Peace University’s School of Commerce and Economics, Pune, has signed an MoU with FPSB India to enable eligible students to pursue the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification alongside their degree programmes, building skills in financial planning and wealth management.

COEP Technological University, Pune, has partnered with JSW Projects, to establish an Advanced Battery Research and Development Centre at COEP Tech’s Chikhali Research Park, to build indigenous battery technology.

Burlington English India has partnered with ARISE to strengthen English communication across India’s private K-12 schools. The partnership will support students in confident communication and collaboration while helping teachers integrate practical language learning through modern pedagogy, digital resources, and blended learning.

The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Uttarakhand has signed an MoU with the Kotak Education Foundation to build AI skills among teachers and strengthen digital, technology-enabled education across the state.

Galgotias University has signed a five-year agreement with University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, to promote academic exchange, joint research, and scientific collaboration, while expanding opportunities for students and faculty to engage with European academia.

DigiHaat has partnered with Pearl Academy to launch a student-led storytelling initiative highlighting India’s farmers, artisans, and producer communities. Students will document their work, traditions and local contexts, turning them into contemporary visual and editorial stories for showcase on DigiHaat.

Oxford University Press (OUP) has partnered with Canva to bring design thinking and digital creativity into classrooms through OUP’s revised Keyboard computer science series. Partner schools adopting the series will receive free access to Canva Education for hands-on digital design learning for teachers and students.

Christel House India (CH India) has signed an MoU with the Thane Municipal Corporation to set up its second school in Thane. The new CBSE English-medium campus in Kavesar will be CH India’s fifth school in the country.

Brother International India has renewed its CSR partnership with Mahesh Foundation, Belagavi, for 2026–27. The initiative will support 400 underprivileged children through education, healthcare, and other holistic development opportunities.