News from the world of Education: April 16, 2026

Foundamental launched Foundamental University, an open-access masterclass platform, to make practical industry knowledge more accessible. It featured conversations with 13 founders, CEOs, and senior operators from across the built world, as part of Season 1 including Jeevan Kalanithi, CEO, OpenSpace; David McGavran, CEO, Maxon; Dimitrie Stefanescu, CEO, Speckle; Dominik von Achten, CEO, Heidelberg Materials, among others.

IIT Dhanbad, in collaboration with IIT Kharagpur, IIT Varanasi, IIT Bhubaneswar, and IIT Patna concluded the fourth edition of IInvenTiv 2026, the R and D fair of the Ministry of Education, Government of India. Directors from 14 IITs, and representatives from IIEST, NIT, and CSIR, discussed research, innovation, and industry collaboration.

The School of Digital Media and Communication, Mahindra University, launched the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Communication and Media, to foster collaborative research across academic disciplines, and address current and emerging challenges in media and communication.

Six universities — including the University of Aberdeen, University of Bristol, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Liverpool, Victoria University, and University of York — will offer ₹1,000 crore in scholarships for UG and PG students in India across AI and STEM fields and other disciplines, covering 10% to 100% of tuition from the upcoming academic session.

IMT Ghaziabad hosted its convocation in which 745 students received their degrees. Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Thiruvananthapuram, the chief guest, delivered the convocation address.

IIM Mumbai held the first convocation of its MBA batch where 505 students received their degrees.

Greenwood High International School, Sarjapur, held the graduation day ceremony of the IB Diploma Class of 2026 themed Pioneering Possibilities. Nara Lokesh, Cabinet Minister of Andhra Pradesh for Human Resource Development, IT, RTG, Electronics and Communications, was the chief guest.

Knowledgeum Academy celebrated its third annual graduation ceremony, Transcendence 2026 – the beginning of becoming, for its International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme cohort. Owen Richards, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Deputy High Commission in Bengaluru, was the chief guest.

IIIT Bangalore was nominated as one of the Lead Knowledge Institutions of NITI Aayog under the State Support Mission. K. S. Rejimon, Joint Secretary and Mission Director – State Support Mission, NITI Aayog, was the chief guest at the inauguration of the event.

The Learning Spiral has launched certification programmes focused on hands-on, industry-relevant training in technology, business operations, and digital skills to prepare students for future jobs.

SRM University-AP established a Quantum Reference Facility, developed in partnership with seven organisations as part of the Amaravati Quantum Valley Project, and was recently inaugurated by N. Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. Dignitaries included Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary to Government of India, Department of Science and Technology; Bhaskar Katamneni, IAS, Secretary, Information Technology, Govt of Andhra Pradesh; Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (online); scientists from DRDO, DYSL, Director General, NHTL, DRDO, Directors and scientists from IIT Tirupati, IIT Madras, TIFR, and founders of Dimira, Qubitec, Qbit Force, Qute Electronics, and P. Sathyanarayanan, Pro-Chancellor, and Prof. Satish Kumar, Vice Chancellor, SRM University-AP.

Tata Consultancy Services, with the University of Cincinnati and Salesforce, launched the TCS My First AI Job skills training programme, offering final-year students AI certifications, hands-on training, paid experience, and full-time roles upon graduation.

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) and CSE (AI-ML) at Gopalan College of Engineering and Management hosted ALGO-RHYTHM 3.0, its technical fest, in which students from across 33 institutions participated.

DPS International School, Gurugram, hosted the second Aurelia Model United Nations, with more than 250 delegates from over 30 schools across Delhi NCR, themed Adipiscendi Ordinem: Striving for Order, where delegates debated global conflicts like the Russia–Ukraine war, instability in regions like South Sudan, and more.

Noida International University organised an international conference titled Data-Driven Insights for National Security: Exploring AI and Statistical Frontiers in India’s Socio-Cultural Landscape (DINS-2026), featuring 31 selected research papers from 73 institutions. Experts discussed topics such as AI in modern warfare, cybersecurity frameworks, ethical AI governance, computer vision, and digital health analytics. It also organised the Educators’ Meet 2026 in which academicians, counsellors, and education stakeholders discussed emerging trends in higher education.

IIM Kashipur concluded the second international conference on Sustainability Management Strategies for India’s Future. Research paper presentations, discussions, keynote sessions, and more, were part of the conference.

Researchers from Nagaland University, Berhampur University, and Saveetha Medical College recently identified traditional herbal formulation used by the Konyak tribe of Nagaland for its anti-cancer potential. The findings were published in the Microchemical Journal.

IIM Lucknow researchers published a study in the Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money examining how banks’ lending to carbon-intensive sectors affects their long-term financial health and efficiency. The study was conducted by Prof. Vikas Srivastava, ONGC Chair Professor, Prof. Sowmya Subramaniam, Associate Professor, Finance and Accounting, and Vidya Mahadevan, research scholar at IIM Lucknow

GLS University, Ahmedabad hosted GLSU-ATRPM 2026, its international research conference titled Advances in Theory, Research and Practices in Management, focussing on AI in Action, in a hybrid format. Participants explored the practical applications of AI in Management and business. Papers were presented across Emerging Technologies, Sustainability, Finance and Accounting, and Entrepreneurship and Start-ups.

IIIT Delhi and the Manekshaw Centre of Excellence in National Security Studies and Research hosted Space Dialogue 2026 and the IIIT Delhi Space Technology Centre was launched. Delegates included Air Vice Marshal Manu Midha, Director General, Defence Space Agency; Lt. Gen. Subrata Saha, Executive Chairman Manekshaw Centre, senior officials from the Defence Space Agency, and directors and vice-chancellors from institutions across the country.

Prestige University, Indore, recently appointed Milind Padalkar as Professor and Dean (Academics), Dinesh Sharma as Professor of Practice, Sahil Kalra as Assistant Professor, and Nishtha Roy as Assistant Professor.

Istituto Marangoni School of Fashion and Design, Mumbai, appointed Kristian Steinberg as its Director of Education. He previously served as Director of Education at Istituto Marangoni Shanghai.

Kanika Mahajan, Associate Professor of Economics, Ashoka University, was selected for the Elizabeth Adiseshiah Award 2026 by the Malcolm and Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust, recognising her work in Development studies.

Collaborations

The University of Liverpool and IISc Bengaluru signed an MoU to create a joint seed fund for collaborative research on global challenges and strengthen PhD training for early-career researchers.

Chitkara University signed an MoU with JAN AI, to advance innovation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive access to AI.

Merck partnered with Manipal Academy of Higher Education to strengthen industry-academia collaboration and develop future-ready talent for the healthcare sector, and launched the Catalyst programme to encourage talent in R and D.

PhysicsWallah collaborated with Microsoft to introduce certification programmes in Generative AI, Data Analytics, and Digital Marketing, and will be delivered by PW Skills, its skilling arm. The curriculum will integrate Microsoft’s tools, including Microsoft Copilot, Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, GitHub, and Microsoft Office 365.

The Department of Mathematics (Shift – I), Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College for Women (Autonomous), Chennai, signed an MoU with CSC Computer Education, Chennai to facilitate a certificate programme in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science with Python Basics for third-year B.Sc. Maths students.