Fredonia signs historic agreement with education institution in India
 Professor Indira Parikh, right, signs agreement with SUNY Fredonia Vice President for Academic Affairs Virginia Horvath. |
SUNY Fredonia recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Foundation for Liberal and Management Education (FLAME) in Pune, India.
Vice President for Academic Affairs Virginia Horvath and Dr. Ted Schwalbe of the Department of Communication traveled to India for this historic event, noting, “This is an exciting opportunity for two institutions with similar values and priorities to imagine new possibilities for our students. We look forward to creative collaborations.”
FLAME is a private institution founded in 2004, with campus construction beginning in 2006. It has an enrollment of approximately 400 students and is poised to grow to about 2,000. President Indira J. Parikh noted on the organization’s website, “When two institutions come together a confluence of ideas is formed and new initiatives emerge. It will be a good journey walking together.”
SUNY Fredonia and FLAME share similar commitments to undergraduate education and to the mission of liberal education, noted Dr. Horvath. She added that it “will be a unique way for students and faculty to develop a relationship with individuals in India, a complex country with many traditions, issues and challenge that are importantly globally.”
Collaborations discussed with the founder of FLAME, Parag Shah, include possible faculty and student exchanges, collaborative courses, such as co-taught J-Term courses with Fredonia and FLAME students; dual-diploma programs, and using technology to bring students and faculty together from both campuses in courses. Courses at FLAME are taught in English, and Dr. Horvath added that Fredonia students would benefit from experiencing the culture of India through study and friendships with Indian students, with FLAME students sharing similar experiences at Fredonia.
FLAME also has an MOU with Suffolk University in Boston, Mass., for collaboration on education projects, and with Jiangsu University in China for joint academic activities. Fredonia is believed to be the first SUNY school with such an agreement with an Indian institution of higher education.
