Patrick Lavelle | College Affairs Editor
Trinity College Dublin has announced its intention to develop a strategic institutional partnership with Thapar University, a private university in New Dehli, India. The partnership, which has arisen from a Trinity-led review of the institution, aims to “promote academic collaboration in the key areas of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes” and to promote mobility of staff and students between the two.
The College intends to use the partnership to create joint programmes and facilitate further international opportunities for students. Since 2011, the College has begun to establish dual and joint degree programmes in strategic international territories as part of its mission to enhance its global reputation.
The collaboration is a major part of the Indian institutions ambitious plans for expansion, which also encompasses the construction of two additional campus sites across India. It also contributes to the College’s global relations mission, which prioritises the recruitment of non-EU international students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
The announcement concludes a number of months of discussions and deliberations, which also involved a visit by Trinity representatives to Thapar University last month. Trinity professors of Engineering and Computer Science, in addition to the Academic Secretary, were involved in an academic review in order to ascertain the standard of the institution. Those involved in the review “fully endorsed” the institution, the College have reported on their behalf.
Thapar University was founded in 1956 by Karam Chand Thapar. Thapar was the founder of the eponymous Thapar Group, a loosely-knit collective of his entrepreneurial ventures into commerce, insurance, textiles, and chemicals. The university is currently ranked as the 18th best in India by India Today and as the 28th by Outlook India – a positioning that reviewers have deemed a “well established reputation within India”.
A College press release has announced that the review team found “much to commend” at the institution and expresses the College’s keen anticipation of “working collaboratively with Thapar staff and management to build on existing strengths and potential”.
Guatam Thapar, President of Thapar University, said that the institution “[values its] partnerships” and heralded the opportunity to “address and bolster Thapar University’s position as a leading centre for higher education in India and in the region”.
“We are pleased to have Trinity College Dublin’s support as we fulfil our mission of offering global standards in our deliverables”.
Speaking at the announcement event, Provost Patrick Prendergast, said: “As part of Trinity College Dublin’s global engagement it attracts students and staff of the highest calibre and promotes mobility among our staff with partnering international institutions. This is enabled by the development of strategic partnerships and joint partnership degree programmes with institutions globally. Today’s statement of intent with Thapar University is an important step in achieving this and we look forward to developing an agreement that will set out a process of collaboration.”
