Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health Signs MOU with OP Jindal Global University

Boston, U.S.A: Today, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH) of Harvard University, Boston and the O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), Sonipat, located near Delhi, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand and reinforce their collaborations in three areas:

The first area where the two institutions will reinforce their collaboration is student engagement through an annual teaching session at Harvard for Jindal students. This collaboration has taken the form of an annual study abroad programme conducted at Harvard University for nearly 30 students from JGU. At the successful completion of the programme, the Jindal students will earn academic credits and the course will be reflected in the transcript.

For the past three years, the Program on Human Rights in Development of the Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has organized this study program in partnership with JGU on the theme of “Human Rights and Development” at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs in Cambridge.

The programme is led by Professor (Dr.) Stephen P. Marks, François-Xavier Bagnoud Professor of Health and Human Rights, Director, Program on Human Rights in Development, Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health and Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global University & Director, International Centre for Higher Education Research & Capacity Building (IIHEd). T

The second area of collaboration is through joint conferences on themes of interest to both the institutions. Two such seminars have already been held, one in January 2016 on the theme: “Delivering on The Promise of Universal Health Coverage in India: Policy Options and Challenges” and another in February 2018 on the theme: “Poverty, Human Rights and Development: Public Policy for the Common Good.”

Future conferences that are being considered under the MoU, include issues that are at the intersection of human rights, development, law, public policy, public health and governance. The Jindal Global Law School and the Jindal School of Government & Public Policy will be the principal partners to collaborate with the Harvard Chan School in these future conferences.

Third, the MOU opens the way for other research and educational activities mutually agreed upon between the parties, including but not limited to joint research projects, joint training and capacity building programmes and joint publications in the field of human rights, development and public health.

JGU was established through a generous philanthropic initiative of Mr. Naveen Jindal, who is its Founding Chancellor and benefactor.

Mr. Naveen Jindal, founding Chancellor and benefactor of O.P. Jindal Global University, observed, “I am most delighted to learn about the collaboration that JGU has established with Harvard in relation to education and research. This achievement is a testament to the passion, commitment and dedication of our faculty and students. This year has been a fantastic journey for JGU having been giving the status of an autonomous institution by the Ministry of Human Resource Development Government of India and for having broken into the QS BRICS Rankings 2018 and recognized as one of the top 250-300 universities among the 9000 universities in the BRICS region.”