The Mahindra Group has launched Mahindra University (MU), which is focussed on offering a world-class, futuristic education in India. Its mission is to develop multi-skilled leaders, capable of reflection as well as innovation, and ones who are ethical and empathetic. To drive a meaningful shift in the way that higher education is imparted in the country, MU will drive interdisciplinary academic excellence, integrating the study of science and technology with the Humanities, Ethics & Philosophy, and Design.
It will operate as an autonomous University, with its contemporary, new-age curricula being curated to fully leverage emerging technologies like Data Science, Blockchain and Data Analytics. MU will uniquely enable the holistic development of its students, combining the Emotional Intelligence (Right Brain) and Artificial Intelligence (Left Brain) paradigms.
Mahindra University is part of the Mahindra Educational Institutions (MEI), a not-for-profit subsidiary of Tech Mahindra. It reflects the standards and reputation of the entire Mahindra Group, mirroring its core purpose of Driving Positive Change in the lives of both peoples and communities, enabling them to Rise.
The university will also be a platform to balance education with real world experience through entrepreneurial projects to solve complex challenges facing society. This, combined with the provision of extra-curricular activities like sports and music, will help revolutionize higher education for millennials and help build a hyper-skilled, future-ready talent pool.
Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group and Chancellor, Mahindra University, said, "High quality education has transformative powers for individuals and nations, alike. Mahindra University will strive to deliver a more balanced education, combining the latest technology with Liberal Arts, to create next generation leaders that have a holistic world view."
The sprawling 130-acre, multi-disciplinary campus in Hyderabad will offer undergraduate, post graduate and PhD courses. MU includes the Ecole Centrale School of Engineering that was set up in 2014.
Vineet Nayyar, Board of Management, Mahindra University, said, "With the education landscape continuously evolving, there is a need for a dynamic and empowering approach to education that goes beyond business and is at par with the technological demands of the industry globally. In line with this, the Mahindra University will be a key enabler in providing a holistic educational and learning experience that involves analytical and design-led thinking, quantitative and creative problem-solving skills and a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship."
CP Gurnani, MD & CEO, Tech Mahindra and Board of Management, Mahindra University, said, "The Mahindra University is a testimony of our commitment towards bridging the skill gap and creating global leaders that are willing to change, adapt and transform according to dynamic market needs and business environment. The university will also provide access to multi-disciplinary learning focused on leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence. This will help the students to develop new-age competencies and inculcate entrepreneurial thinking to enable them solve complex challenges faced by the society."
As a part of the immediate roadmap, the University will launch the School of Management (2021-22), School of Law (2021-22), Indira Mahindra School of Education (2021-22), School of Media & Liberal Arts (2022-23) and School of Design (2023-24).
An estimated 4,000 Students and over 300+ Faculty members will be in place across the various Schools at Mahindra University over the next five years.
The Minerva Fund – Mahindra University Scholarship Program is available to ensure that deserving students have access to a quality education. Efforts are also being made to drive inclusion in awarding scholarships across geographies, gender, and academic excellence, among others, to create a stronger society and a wider talent pool for industry and academia, alike.
Prof Yajulu Medury, Vice-Chancellor, Mahindra University, said, "Mahindra University aims to revolutionise the educating environment for the future workforce of our country through necessary industry-academia collaborations to prepare the students for present challenges and future industry needs. The university will bring together expertise of international faculty and will provide access to innovation and research hubs with top academic partners. We plan to be a holistic learning platform for the students, providing access to studies related to Engineering, Law, Management, Education, Media & Liberal Arts, Design and others."
MU will also bring the Corporate and Industrial ecosystems together through its Centres of Excellence. Students will have access to the Mahindra Group’s expertise through a Centre of Excellence, visiting faculty and other strategic engagements. Students will be provided opportunities to interact with CEOs, CXOs of organizations across the country.
MU already has a Supercomputer Lab with an advanced NVidia GPU-based supercomputer, the DGX-1. It also has a Centre for Artificial Intelligence (CAI), a Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) and a Centre for Sustainable Infrastructure and Systems (CSIS).
Additional CoEs being considered include, the Centre for Computational and Experimental Mechanics (CCEM), the Centre for Research in Optics and Photonics (CROP) and a Centre for Executive Education (CEE).