TISS signs MoU with St. Francis Institute of Management & Research on NUSSD Programme

Mumbai: The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the St. Francis Institute of Management & Research, Borivali for implementation of its National University Students’ Skill Development (NUSSD) Programme in SFIMAR to help students gain sustainable and relevant Skills along with their degree to make them employable.
NUSSD, a flagship programme initiated by TISS in 2013, aims at increasing the
employability of University and College students by imparting knowledge and skills,
through cutting edge teaching and learning methods as well as practical work experience
through internships and community projects. In 2015, the United Nations (UN) Steering
Committee on Children and Youth recognized the NUSSD programme as a “Skill
Development Best Practice” in the country. NUSSD will offer courses such as Leadership
and People Skills, English Communication, Analytical Skills, Legal Literacy, Financial
Literacy, Entrepreneurship, Ethics and Integrity and Employability Skills to the 1st and 2nd
year students. NUSSD will conduct assessments and certify students in ‘Management and
Soft Skills’ at the end of the Programme. “The NUSSD programme is a tried and tested
model which is currently being implemented in more than 120 colleges in 5 states across
the country and we look forward to working with students of SFIMAR to enrich their
academic experience” Mr. Tanmay Nayak, Director – NUSSD, TISS said. Dr. G Ramesh, Head
of MMS Programme, SFIMAR who initiated the programme and process, indicated that such
skill development programme adds value to those participating student’s learning and also
establishes an USP to them.
The MoU signing ceremony was held in the presence of Bro. Alphonse Nesamony,
Chairman, SFIMAR, Dr. S. S. Mohanty, Director, SFIMAR, Dr. G Ramesh, HOD –MMS,
Mr. Tanmay Nayak, Director – NUSSD, TISS, Ms Ramya Balakrishnan, Lead – New Initiatives,
NUSSD, Mr Richard Samuel, Sr. Program Officer, NUSSD, Ms Khushboo Mehta, NUSSD
Trainer and Ms Manjusha Battle, NUSSD Trainer. The Heads of the Departments of Finance,
Marketing, IT, Corporate Relations & Placement were among the others present in the
meeting and MoU signing ceremony. Following the MoU signing event, an introductory
session on Youth Leadership and People Skills (YLPS) was delivered to the first batch of
students enrolled in the programme.
St. Francis Group of Institutions in Mumbai is a chain of Catholic Minority Educational
Institutions located in the western suburb of India’s Financial Capital Mumbai. St. Francis
Group of Institutions focuses on excellence in value based education and beneficial &
educative extracurricular activities. Today, after 116 years of its inception the Franciscan
Brothers continue their commitment of training young minds and finding solutions to
address tomorrow’s challenges. “We look forward to this partnership” added Bro. Alphonse
Nesamony and Dr. S. S. Mohanty added saying “ Collaborating with TISS programme will
enhance students personality development at each stage through many interactive sessions
on values, ethics, business etiquette, counseling and leadership”.