Queen Mary launches partnership between India and UK to tackle global challenges
Queen Mary University of London has launched the Resilient Futures India Initiative in New Delhi. A variety of experts from India and UK were invited to discuss complex challenges facing vulnerable communities today in areas such as urbanisation, gender equality, health and environmental sustainability.
Lord Patel of Bradford, who travelled to New Delhi for the launch in his capacity as member of the Advisory Council to Queen Mary’s Global Policy Institute, said: “This is a hugely exciting initiative that will help to address the complex challenges facing humanity. Universities can provide real power for positive change, and there is nowhere better to start than India.”
Commenting on the Initiative, Professor Colin Grant, Vice-Principal International at Queen Mary, said: “We are delighted to engage creatively with major thinkers across a variety of disciplines and sectors, and examine ways to enhance human well-being and resilience. We hope that the launch of the Resilient Futures India Initiative will lay the groundwork for high impact and innovative research collaborations and policy solutions between India and UK.”
Mr. Amreesh Chandra, an eminent educationist and MD, CEL Pvt.Ltd, said: “It has become imperative to structure an organized approach to ensure that the people grow not only in intellect but also in understanding. These sorts of programs can only be initiated by the Executive through the Educationists.”
The Resilient Futures India Initiative is led by Queen Mary’s Global Policy Institute and supported by the Commonwealth Secretary General, the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development, and the British Council. The initiative aims to harness local and global knowledge to tackle critical challenges with policy makers, entrepreneurs and civil society leaders in both countries.
The Resilient Futures India Initiative began on 1 February with a welcome dinner for participants. On 2 February, key thinkers from several sectors in India and the UK debated and identify programmes for future research. The workshop followed a launch reception in the evening to which 180 Delhi-based Queen Mary University of London alumni had been invited. The agenda for the workshop will allow participants to understand and examine resilience challenges identified within two initial core themes: transformative human rights and mental health.
Following these initial discussions, researchers will be reporting on the progress of their work and their moves towards creating resilience during a summer workshop at Queen Mary in London with the support of the Commonwealth Secretariat.