New York: In what, Columbia University officials say, represents a new approach to the internationalization of higher education, Mumbai will find a place of pride when the University opens a Global Center from March 22 onwards. The Center will however be fully operational from August 1. The plan is to inaugurate a new academic program in South Asia in which India plays a key role.

Making this announcement before a select group of Indian journalists here Mr. Lee Bollinger, president of the Columbia University said “the Center, to be located at the Express Tower in Nariman Point, will provide a base for schools and departments of the University”.

According to Mr. Bollinger, “ Columbia’s Graduate school of Architecture, planning and preservation will launch Studio-X Mumbai in conjunction with the University’s opening of the global center. Studio-X Mumbai will occupy a loft-like space in the heritage building near Chhatrapati Shivaji (Victoria terminus) and will join the growing network of Columbia architecture labs in Beijing, Amman, Rio-de Janerio, Moscow and other world cities”.

The Columbia Global Center will provide flexible regional hubs for a wide range of activities and resources intended to enhance quality of research and learning at the University and around the world. The first two global centers were launched in Beijing and Jordan last year and this year Mumbai and Paris also joins the league of Columbia Global Centers.

According to Mr. Bollinger, “the centers will help increase international contents in classrooms, internship, provide resources needed to attract students from abroad. The Center will also support expansion of opportunities for Columbia students to do research.”

In reply to a question about academic aspects, the president said “there are no plans to have a campus or offer and degree. We will have an inter program for under graduate where the students will share their experience and the move to other centers”.

The president also clarified that there has been no funding from either the central government, however a financial outlay has been planned and there would be a facility office. According to Mr. Bollinger, the Columbia University will however work in collaboration with the IIMs and IITs.

When asked if Columbia University has drawn up a back up plan in case the present government in the Center is removed and another government takes office which is not so foreign university friendly, Mr. Bollinger along with Mr. Nirupam Bajpai ,director, South Asian Program, who will be in charge of the Mumbai operation said “ India has moved ahead so much that there is not any likelihood of it reversing the trend. India has opened its door and they would not back out from this point. Besides that Columbia University has been independently registered. The only thing that can happen is change in program focus, they clarified.

Columbia’s multi disciplinary Earth Institute will plan an early leading role at the South Asia global center. It will first focus on rural development and then share with other scientists and policy makers the lessons learnt from its Millennium Villages projects and other initiatives. Eventually the program will expand its scientific base to cover long term environmental challenges of climate change, water and energy for an increasingly urban population.