The Ohio State University
Strategic or transformational partnerships that enhance internationalization, mitigate insularity, and elevate shared goals and interests are critical in the post pandemic world. Although the COVID-19 pandemic halted travel and limited face-to-face engagements, the past 15 months have confirmed the value and importance of working with international partners. Notably, the momentum of collaborations in India remained active and strong, thereby demonstrating the shared benefits of international partnerships.
Agreements with three institutions in India, Tata Management Training Center (TMTC), the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) and the Amity University, were all formalized during 2020-21. The agreement between TMTC and the Fisher College of Business has allowed for the launch of a new online executive education program for Tata Consultancy Services. This program is the first of its kind delivered virtually in India. The College of Engineering and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences agreements with IITM and Amity respectively explore research collaborations, faculty and scholar exchanges, joint workshops and student exchanges. In addition to these active collaborations, pending agreements involve Ohio State’s promising relationships with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research and The Indian Council on Agricultural Research.
Furthering Ohio State’s mission to create and discover knowledge to improve the well-being of our state, regional, national and global communities, the Office of International Affairs partners with Ohio State’s academic units to develop, facilitate and advance a wide array of international collaborations. International Partnerships, a unit within International Affairs, facilitates partnerships and serves as the centralized interface for faculty and institutions seeking to enter into agreements at the university.
The Global Gateways and International Partnerships were linked through a change in the reporting structure in 2019. This change sought to achieve greater synergy between the two units to better facilitate mutually beneficial relationships in and across campus as well as those with the international community. Additionally, the International Strategic Plan 2020-2025 identified a greater role for Global Gateways in partnerships. And as the Global Gateways become a single point of contact to enhance and advance engagements in China, India and Brazil, this synergy has the ability to drive new and innovative strategic partnerships.