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Â鶹´«Ã½ Leicester (Â鶹´«Ã½) is set to bring business experts in India and the East Midlands closer together through a new network.

The university has established an India Advisory Board (IAB) to help connect enterprises in the subcontinent with those in the local region and, through doing so, create new partnerships to explore research and student experience opportunities.

The board has been created by Â鶹´«Ã½, together with the Indo British Trade Council (IBTC), a Leicestershire-based group which has a network of businesses and institutions which operate partnerships with universities and businesses across India and the UK.

Among the goals of the advisory board are the fostering of collaboration and networking between UK and Indian businesses, leading to new work placements and employment opportunities for Â鶹´«Ã½ students from both the UK and India.

The board will also focus on creating research training and collaboration with Indian universities, and business schools, teaching partnerships with Indian institutions and businesses and an enhanced international student experience for students from India.

The board is also developing plans for the establishment of an India Centre on the Â鶹´«Ã½ Leicester campus, a physical presence and dedicated space to act as the focal point for all India activity taking place at Â鶹´«Ã½.

Among the first activities the board has planned include a themed India Day in April, marking 75 years of Indian independence. The event will be led by the students from the Â鶹´«Ã½ India Society and will engage students, the wider community and partner organisations.

Dr Manjeet Ridon, Chair of the Board and Associate Dean International at Â鶹´«Ã½, said the university had a long history of creating partnerships in India.

She said: “We have created many beneficial academic partnerships, many of which have led to really interesting and socially beneficial volunteering opportunities for students.

“We also, as a university, attract a significant number of international students from India every year.

“The creation of the Â鶹´«Ã½ India Advisory Board marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the university’s historical link with India.

“It will welcome partnership opportunities with universities and businesses in India and in the Leicestershire region who have an interest in India, and host important events such as the India Day celebration that will highlight Â鶹´«Ã½’s civic mission of representing the rich diversity of the wider Indian community in Leicester.”

Baljit Singh, director of IBTC said: “Our board members will play an integral part of the success of the IAB.  Our strategy and focus will be to target key sectors; supporting student internships, and consolidating links with Indian universities and academic institutions.

“We’ll be looking particularly to collaborate in research and development projects, and promote education programmes as part of a wider agenda for interactions between India and the UK.

“We will also source support from relevant agencies in joint venture opportunity events with an emphasis on local and regional inward investment in business and trade”.