Bibek Banerjee (Senior Dean of Strategic Initiatives and Planning, Ahmedabad University),
Linda Liu (Vice President, International, The College Board), Jon Beard (Director, Cambridge University)

The transition from school to college can be a tumultuous one. The transformation is so drastic, that students often find it formidable to overcome. Making headway, College Board, a US-based non-profit organisation, has announced the launch of the India Global Higher Education Alliance, a platform that seeks to bridge the gap between postsecondary and higher education in India.

The Alliance aims to ease the transition through a community of innovative leaders from the education sector. It also plans to establish a forum that will share the best global practices for admissions around the world and help forum members to adopt these practices, and adapt them to the current context of higher education in India.

Linda Liu, Vice President, International, The College Board

Commenting on the Alliance, Linda Liu, Vice President International at the College Board said, “While the College Board has delivered the SAT and Advanced Placement in India for decades, the time is right for us to work closely with innovative universities in India to provide more access to underserved populations, rethink admissions in an Indian context, and ensure India’s leading universities continue to shine on the world stage.”

College Board will work in partnership with a number of Indian and international universities. The founding and Affiliate member universities of the Alliance include: Ashoka University, Azim Premji University, Manav Rachna University, Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, FLAME University, Ahmedabad University, University of Cambridge, NMIMS University, BML Munjal University, Pomona College, Bennett University, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Purdue University, Manipal University, McGill University and The University of Hong Kong.

Manoj P., Registrar from Azim Premji University, which focuses on educational research, said: “As a Founding Member of this Alliance, we are excited to share ideas and learn from other institutions, both in India and abroad. We hope that this will open up opportunities for diversifying the applicant pool and enable access and equity.”

College Board has also announced the launch of its India Scholars Program wherein the high achieving, low-income students in India will be made eligible to take the SATs at lowered costs. They will also have the opportunity to receive full scholarships to India Global Alliance member universities in India. More details about the program will be released in June.

Across the world, College Board has helped more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through their programs and services.

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