Azim Premji University

The first Azim Premji University was set up in Bengaluru in 2010. Today it operates from a 110-acre campus. The second one, i.e., Azim Premji University, Bhopal, is now operational. The work on the third University in Ranchi is currently underway. ird University in Ranchi is currently underway. Azim Premji University, Bengaluru has been offering degree programmes since 2011. Its mandate is to run teaching programmes and conduct research to contribute to the social sector in India, and to be an exemplar higher education institution – with inclusion and quality. The degree and short-term teaching programmes are focused on domains of human development, for example, Education, Livelihoods, Development, Governance and Policy, Public Health, and Sustainability. The undergraduate programmes offer a broad-based liberal education as envisioned in the NEP – along with fields of human development that are the overall focus of the University. The research programmes are designed for direct contribution to matters of policy and practice, in these fields of human development. The University, Field Institutions, and Philanthropy (the operating unit that handles partner grants) work together to integrate the real grassroots and systemic knowledge to contribute to policy, research and continuing education. Ten cohorts of over 3000 students from the programmes have graduated from the University and almost hundred percent of students from the of master’s programmes have received job offers on campus. Nearly 90 percent of these students have chosen to work in the social sector, many in grassroots field locations across the country. The Universities are entirely philanthropic; currently, 89 percent of the expenditure is borne by the Foundation. Currently, about 60 percent of students are on scholarships offered by the University. The student body is very diverse, from across 26 states and varied socio-economic backgrounds. The University also produces a large collection of teaching-learning material for free public use. These include magazines on school subjects, development case studies, translations of higher education material, etc. The work in Health has started in Bengaluru and is being initiated in the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha. This work will span from strengthen the public health system to running primary health clinics, secondary and tertiary hospitals, and medical colleges. The launch of the Master of Public Health programme at the University in Bhopal is a definitive step towards strengthening the Foundation’s commitment to the cause of ensuring effective and affordable healthcare for all. The Foundation is also collaborating with multiple partners, such as hospitals and NGOs, to make healthcare accessible to vulnerable communities and to improve community health. The Foundation is also initiating new projects across multiple states in collaboration with the governments to strengthen the nutritional content of mid-day meals for children in government schools, run creches for infants and children below the age of 3 in some of the remotest geographies, and support through the government education system the improvement in the quality of learning in Madrasas. ...view more