logo
BITS Pilani, USC Viterbi to offer dual degree, research initiatives

BITS Pilani, USC Viterbi to offer dual degree, research initiatives

Indian Express06-06-2025
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani) has entered into an academic partnership with the University of Southern California's (USC) Viterbi School of Engineering. The MoU is aimed at advancing research, education, and global collaboration.
JEE Advanced 2025: Meet A Rajeshwari, first TN tribal student to secure admission to IIT
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), was formalised on Thursday, June 5 at the USC's Olin Hall of Engineering. The MoU will facilitate for a series of joint initiatives between the two institutions.
What domains will it be covered under the partnership?
Under the agreement, BITS Pilani and USC Viterbi will collaborate across key areas such as artificial intelligence, data science, quantum computing, and sustainable engineering. The partnership will include joint research projects, faculty and student exchanges, and the launch of an integrated degree program.
'This partnership with USC Viterbi School of Engineering represents a significant step forward in our mission to provide global opportunities for our students and faculty,' said Prof Ramgopal Rao, Group Vice Chancellor, BITS Pilani. 'By combining the strengths of both institutions, we aim to foster innovation, enhance learning experiences, and contribute meaningfully to the advancement of education and research.'
IITM Pravartak invites applications for online AR, VR & salesforce B2C Commerce cloud programmes
Echoing the sentiment, Yannis C Yortsos, Dean of USC Viterbi, stated, 'This partnership with BITS Pilani exemplifies our commitment to building global alliances that advance research and innovation.'
MoU will fastrack admission for MS degree at USC
BITS Pilani students enrolled in undergraduate engineering programs will have the opportunity to pursue an accelerated pathway to a Master of Science (MS) degree at USC. After completing three years of their BE program, select students will be eligible for early admission to USC's MS program, beginning graduate-level coursework while completing their undergraduate degree.
BITS Pilani, admits students primarily through its own entrance test, BITSAT. In addition, a limited number of seats are offered through the international student admissions route and board topper scheme, allowing meritorious students direct admission without JEE.
BITSAT 2025: Notification, Exam Dates, Application Form and more
USC students, faculty to take part in exchange programmes under MoU
Additionally, the partnership includes a short-term exchange program where USC students will spend two weeks at BITS Pilani campuses, participating in both academic sessions and cultural immersion. Faculty members from both sides will engage in teaching and collaborative research through reciprocal visits and joint seminars.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Digital governance reshaping Arunachal: Khandu
Digital governance reshaping Arunachal: Khandu

News18

time17 hours ago

  • News18

Digital governance reshaping Arunachal: Khandu

Agency: PTI Itanagar, Jul 23 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday reaffirmed the state government's commitment to transparent and efficient governance by embracing a digital-first approach to public service delivery. In a social media post, Khandu outlined how the shift to digital governance is not just about modernisation, but about cleansing the system, restoring public trust, and eliminating opportunities for corruption. 'Reflecting at a time when governance was synonymous with long queues, misplaced files, and approvals that often depended on personal influence rather than genuine need, that's why we chose the digital path. Not just to modernise, but to cleanse the system, to bring back trust," Khandu said in a post on X. The chief minister cited the implementation of e-office as a game-changer, where no file can go missing and every movement is transparently tracked. The introduction of e-receipts has ended unofficial cash transactions by ensuring that every rupee is digitally recorded. With digital dashboards, delays are now visible and responsibility is clearly assigned, while online public services have eliminated the role of middlemen, allowing citizens direct access to the system, he said. 'This is how we fight corruption, not with slogans, but with systems that cannot lie," Khandu asserted. Echoing this vision, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein lauded the sweeping changes brought about under Digital Arunachal 2.0, describing it as a transformation from 'geographic isolation to digital innovation". In a social media post, Mein revealed that over 971 government offices are currently operating through the e-office system, having processed more than 2.45 lakh files and generated over 3.87 crore e-receipts to date. He added that citizen-centric services are now accessible online, while real-time monitoring through the e-pragati dashboard is enabling faster and more accountable implementation of government schemes. 'This transformation reflects our commitment to building a Viksit Arunachal, where technology empowers every citizen and inclusive progress reaches every corner," the deputy chief minister added. PTI UPL UPL ACD view comments First Published: July 23, 2025, 20:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Will CUET become the JEE of non-STEM courses? It's already acting like one
Will CUET become the JEE of non-STEM courses? It's already acting like one

India Today

time18 hours ago

  • India Today

Will CUET become the JEE of non-STEM courses? It's already acting like one

Just three years in, CUET has changed how India gets into college. Board cut-offs no longer dominate admissions to top universities. A single national entrance test now determines seats in disciplines like Economics, Sociology, BBA, and around 13 lakh students taking CUET UG 2025, it's hard not to ask: is CUET becoming the JEE of non-STEM disciplines?That question seems to be answering itself -- with a 'yes.'advertisement Delhi University's 2025-26 cut-off lists have made it official: CUET is no longer just a procedural shift. It's become a high-stakes the highest cut-off at Hindu College reaching a staggering 950/1,000 for Political Science and top courses like Psychology, English, and Economics requiring normalised scores above the 99th percentile, CUET is functioning as a national merit barometer for humanities and commerce -- much like JEE does for engineering.'CUET is undoubtedly emerging as a national-level benchmark for non-STEM disciplines. It is bringing some structure and clarity to a space that was previously fragmented and fuzzy,' says Avnee Khosla, Vice President at Shoolini EXAM TO LEVEL THEM ALL?From unpredictable college-specific interviews and shifting board cut-offs to one uniform entrance -- CUET has brought visibility and order to arts and commerce courses that were often treated as she's quick to add a big 'but.''If CUET begins to turn into the hyper-competitive, coaching-driven pressure cooker that JEE is, a democratising tool will morph into a gatekeeping one,' Khosla recently released DU cut-offs underscore that concern. Of the 1,528 unique course-college combinations, the highest ranks were dominated by BA (Hons.) courses in Political Science, Psychology, English, and Economics -- fields that 59% of CUET applicants reportedly (Hons.) programmes saw cut-offs upwards of 917 (SRCC), placing them squarely in the 98-100 percentile range. (AI-generated image) A PRESSURE TEST IN THE MAKINGDr. Meenakshi Khurana, Dean at Manav Rachna University, believes CUET is already echoing the structure -- and stress -- of JEE.'Yes, in many ways, CUET is starting to play a role similar to what JEE does for engineering. There's definitely more pressure now on students to crack a single high-stakes exam,' she and late announcements in 2025 only added to that stress.'Even minor disruptions can create major anxiety,' she says. 'So yes, in terms of pressure and preparation load, CUET is starting to resemble JEE, but we must be cautious that it doesn't start replicating its drawbacks too.'RISING COACHING DEPENDENCE, RISING INEQUALITY?advertisementAll the experts we spoke to pointed to the same concern: the rapid rise of coaching centres for CUET and the access gap it's creating.'Sadly, this is a pattern India knows too well. Whenever we introduce a centralised exam, coaching ecosystems inevitably come in to profit from the scenario,' says Khosla.'It is not just about talent; it's about test readiness. And that is increasingly outsourced to private coaching.'Dr. Enid Verghese Jacob from Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science agrees. She says CUET, though launched with good intentions, has brought new inequities into the system.'The rise of specialised CUET coaching institutes gives an unfair advantage to urban and affluent students In contrast, rural students often lack access to quality coaching and cannot afford expensive preparation,' she is even more troubling when you consider how narrow the admissions window has become. With top DU colleges requiring 97-99+ percentiles for popular humanities and commerce courses, even a few percentile points can make or break a candidate's chances. (AI-generated image) advertisementIS THE TEST OUTPACING THE CLASSROOM?CUET may also be hollowing out regular school learning.'Students and teachers [now] view school as merely a stepping stone to external exam preparation,' says Dr. Verghese with the DU admission landscape tilting so sharply towards CUET scores, board exams seem to be losing their Khurana echoes the concern: 'The frequent changes in exam patterns, syllabus updates, and lack of clarity are definitely causing a lot of stress for students.''LET'S NOT SHIELD STUDENTS FROM UNCERTAINTY'Still, not everyone sees CUET's unpredictability as a problem.'We are over-focussing on stability, when what students need are skills to navigate uncertainty,' says believes CUET can actually help students build test-smart thinking, if it moves away from rote memory and towards comprehension, reasoning, and logic.'This is a moment for our education system to shift gears; from 'teaching to test' to 'teaching for thinking',' she says.A TEST IN SEARCH OF TRUSTDespite everything CUET promises, it still lacks something JEE has: trust and students and parents still don't know much about CUET,' says Verghese Jacob. 'That makes them hesitant to prepare for it when board and other entrance exam preparations take years of commitment.' (AI-generated image) A major reason is the lack of universal adoption. While DU and other central universities rely on CUET, many private institutions do not, causing confusion and fragmented strategies.'CUET won't become the standard until private institutions also adopt it and until it has the same support system that JEE has -- coaching centers, study materials, and trust from everyone involved,' Jacob EXAM, MANY DISCIPLINES - ONE SIZE FITS NONE?Another challenge? CUET uses a standardised MCQ format across a wide range of fields, some of which may need a different kind of evaluation.'Disciplines like humanities, social sciences, or design have always required a more holistic evaluation such as writing skills, critical thinking, creativity,' notes Dr. Khurma, CEO of Woxsen University, adds: 'Humanities, social sciences, and creative domains are inherently pluralistic. For CUET to hold similar stature [as JEE], it must assess aptitude but also nurture diversity in learner profiles.'advertisementCase studies, interviews, scenario analysis, portfolios -- these may need to be part of CUET's next WHAT NOW?For now, CUET is walking a tightrope. It's trying to make admissions fairer. But it's in danger of becoming a pressure CUET wants to be the non-STEM answer to JEE, it will need to make some choices: Does it reward application or memory? Does it level the field -- or just raise the bar?'In an ideal world, every student, regardless of their background, should get a fair shot at quality education,' Khosla says. 'Inclusivity and not exclusivity will be key to CUET's true success.'- Ends

IIT-L sees steep cut-offs as applicants with 99 percentile struggle for entry
IIT-L sees steep cut-offs as applicants with 99 percentile struggle for entry

Time of India

timea day ago

  • Time of India

IIT-L sees steep cut-offs as applicants with 99 percentile struggle for entry

Lucknow: Indian Institute of Information Technology Lucknow (IIIT-L) witnessed unprecedented admission cut-offs for the academic session 2025-26 with even those with a 99 percentile in JEE examinations struggling to get admission. The premier institute offers BTech degrees in four specialisations-- Information Technology, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science and Business, and Computer Science. Across all the branches, candidates who scored equal to or above the 99.23 percentile could get admission until the sixth round of counselling under the Gender Neutral Open Category. According to IIIT-L officials, those scoring above 99 percentile in JEE found it challenging to secure a place. The institute's popularity was evident during the initial counselling round, where 10,165 was the cut-off for the open category. "The competitive atmosphere was particularly intense across all engineering branches. Computer Science saw exceptionally high cut-offs, followed by Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. The Computer Science & Business and Information Technology branch also maintained stringent admission criteria," said IIIT-L director Arun Mohan Sherry. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Up to 70% off | Shop Sale Libas Undo He said the surge reflects the growing reputation of IIIT Lucknow as a centre of excellence. The institute's strong placement records, state-of-the-art facilities, distinguished faculty, and industry focused curriculum contributed to its increased demand among aspirants. "The focus on emerging technologies, research opportunities and industry collaborations at IIIT Lucknow attracted top-ranking candidates from across the country. The institute maintained its rigorous selection process, emphasising merit and academic excellence. This development is expected to strengthen IIIT Lucknow's position among premier technical institutions in India while setting new benchmarks for future admissions," he added.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store