FLAME University and Amherst College inks MoU to impart knowledge on research studies

FLAME University on October 30 signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Amherst College to collaborate, exchange best practices and produce cutting-edge research studies on the educational and student initiatives.

Speaking about the collaboration between FLAME University and Amherst, Professor Dishan Kamdar, Vice-Chancellor, FLAME University said, “FLAME University is happy to announce its partnership with Amherst. This partnership signifies an important step forward in our mission of making FLAME a truly global institution. As liberal education gets acknowledged as the game changer for the future, we aspire to exchange knowledge and best practices that will allow us to collaborate and contribute to the advancement of liberal education globally.”

Sharing her thoughts on the collaboration with FLAME University, Catherine Epstein, Provost and Dean of the Faculty, Amherst College, said, “We are delighted to build a strong relationship with FLAME University, one of the premier liberal arts institutes in India.  With this partnership, we will provide outstanding opportunities to our students and faculty to engage in collaborative learning and research.  I very much look forward to sending our students and faculty to FLAME, and to hosting FLAME students and faculty at Amherst.”   

The alliance between FLAME and Amherst College takes an initial five-year term. Amherst students will spend one semester with FLAME students taking liberal arts courses and staying in residences. FLAME faculty comes from India and the world's top institutions. Amherst students will be familiar with the small class size, which provides numerous opportunities to engage with teachers. Similarly, students at FLAME University can also spend a semester or a whole year with students from Amherst taking liberal arts courses with and living in residences. This exchange programme is for students at the undergraduate level.

The alliance also involves students, exchanges of teachers and staff, research collaborations, curriculum development, implementation of experiential programs, creativity in pedagogy, educational conference and sequence of colloquiums.

Presently, FLAME University is also in collaboration with prestigious global institutions across the world such as Nuffield College-University of Oxford, Wellesley College, Kelley School of Business-Indiana University Bloomington, Babson Collaborative, and IE University.

Global Connect Initiative FLAME University

FLAME University's Global Connect programme aims to support the plan of internationalisation. It is a mutually beneficial partnership of the University with world-leading universities, reputable institutes and renowned international research institutions. The aim of these collaborations is to provide the FLAME community with opportunities for a global view and a diverse set of points of view in addition to the academic enrichment of students and faculty.

FLAME University was also listed as a member of the International Alliance for Liberal Arts. The Global Liberal Arts Alliance, which is the only global alliance in its kind that comprises world-wide leading Liberal Arts organisations, is the first Indian organisation represented.

About Amherst College

Amherst College prepares students to use ideas to make a difference in the world. Since its 1821 founding in Western Massachusetts, Amherst has demonstrated steadfast confidence in the value of the liberal arts and the importance of critical thinking. Today, its financial aid program is among the most substantial in the nation, and its student body is among the most diverse. Small classes, an open curriculum and a singular focus on undergraduate education ensure that leading scholars engage daily with talented, curious students, equipping them for leadership in an increasingly global and complex world.

About FLAME University

FLAME University has been created as an academic institution anchored in Liberal Education. Being the pioneer of Liberal Education in India, FLAME University delivers the country’s premier interdisciplinary education experience. It exists to build an aspirational destination for students and faculty, to push the design and nature of studies and to create a societal up gradation phenomenon particularly in the fields of liberal education and leadership. FLAME University is driven to being one of India’s most respected and reputed centers of learning – the one destination of choice for higher education in the nation for learners and teachers.

Spread in an area of 60 acre of green expanse, FLAME prepares students who have a strong desire to learn and grow continually, welcome new ideas, value diversity with desire to succeed and give their best towards excellence in all spheres of life. Its curriculum includes perspective building, skills and competencies for communication, problem-solving skills, creativity, innovation, teamwork and ethics that also meet the needs of the diverse sectors of the country. It currently consists of four schools: FLAME School of Liberal Education, FLAME School of Business, FLAME School of Communication and FLAME School of Fine & Performing Arts. With more than 90 full-time faculty members, the university offers an unparalled education experience. The student – teacher ratio is 9:1, unmatched at the higher education level in India. 

FLAME University has been established as a state private university vide the FLAME University Act 2014 (Maharashtra Act No. II of 2015) of the Government of Maharashtra. FLAME University is recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 2(f), and degrees awarded by the University are recognized under Section 22 of the UGC Act, 1956.

Note : This press release has been published on the basis of a press communication by the college