Being a multi-disciplinary university, Bennett University has undertaken various initiatives for the betterment of the society and also strives to update its students with new and updated course curriculum. Read on to know more about the latest happenings at the University.   

Bennett University hosts seminar on Academia-Industry Partnership for fostering Biotechnology Advancements

Bennett University

Date: September 18, 2023

Greater Noida, September 14th, 2023: Bennett University hosted an enlightening seminar that delved into the crucial theme of "Academia-Industry Partnership for Fostering Biotechnology Advancements." This event aligned with global objectives endorsed by the G20, underscoring the university's commitment to driving innovation and excellence in education and research by bridging the gap between academia and industry.

The seminar witnessed the esteemed presence of the Guest of Honour, Padma Bhushan Prof. G. P. Talwar, a distinguished figure renowned for his significant contributions to biotechnology. Joining him were other luminaries and trailblazers from the biotechnology domain, including Prof. Sudhanshu Vrati, Former Executive Director of the Regional Centre for Biotechnology, and Dr. Amulya Panda, Associate Director of Panacea Biotech and Former Director of the National Institute of Immunology.

Prof. Sudhanshu Vrati delivered an insightful talk titled "Making of the Rotavirus Vaccine - The India Story," which illuminated the journey of developing rotavirus vaccine from laboratory research to clinical trials and the global recognition received by the vaccine from the World Health Organization (WHO). He emphasized the intricate process of identifying, isolating, and studying the virus, highlighting the critical factors of efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and safety. The rotavirus vaccine, initiated in 1985, entered the field in 2016, significantly impacting combatting rotavirus infections worldwide.

Dr. Amulya Panda's presentation, "Translating Innovation in Biotechnology," resonated strongly with biotechnology students, showcasing the immense potential within the field. Dr. Panda emphasized the distinction between innovation and mere invention, encouraging students to establish a strong foundational understanding. He also lauded India's exceptional achievement in producing cost-effective vaccine doses during the COVID-19 pandemic, underlining the prowess of India's biotechnology industry.

Padma Bhushan Prof. G. P. Talwar remained a true source of inspiration as he shared his invaluable insights from extensive research work. He highlighted mission-oriented research and proudly announced three products passed on to the industry: BASANT, Probiotics, and a multi-potential vaccine against Leprosy, Drug-resistant Tuberculosis, Ano-genital warts, and Cancers. Prof. Talwar concluded by urging aspiring researchers to dedicate themselves to meaningful research and service to humanity.

Speaking about the conference, Dr. (Prof.) Ajith Abraham remarked, "The seminar successfully nurtured the discovery of fresh synergies, enlightening students about the dynamic collaboration between industry and academia. It served as an invaluable platform for the exchange of expertise and research."

The event culminated with an interactive question-and-answer session, allowing students to directly engage with the esteemed speakers, further exploring the topics under discussion.

Bennett university Welcomes 18 US University delegates as a new initiative towards Globalization of Higher Education

Date: April 26, 2023

18th April, Greater Noida: Bennett University and the EducationUSA at United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF), New Delhi co-hosted “The 2023 EducationUSA India Roadshow”, where Delegates from 18 universities of the United States visited the Bennett University Campus on April 11, 2023. The delegation discussed the possible areas of collaboration and engagements for the Summer & Winter Immersion Pathways Faculty and Student Exchange, & Joint Research. Dr. Prabhu Kumar Aggarwal, Vice Chancellor, BU and Dr. Deepak Garg, Dean International Relations and Corporate Outreach, BU, conducted the Inaugural Ceremony on arrival of the Universities at the Campus. 

This was an excellent opportunity for students, parents, teachers, faculties, and counsellors who got a chance to interact with representatives of the international universities from the USA thus allowing all students to explore the available courses with several scholarships along with relevant information on travel, accommodation, post study visa, work visa etc. 

Bennett University Vice Chancellor, Dr. Prabhu Kumar Agarwal also quoted saying “Learning has no Boundaries, Education is the Key to Explore new avenues in emerging fields of Study. BU is poised to provide the right platform to the students through our International partners.”

The participating US Universities for this event were Arizona State University, Bradley University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Colorado State University, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Rochester , Full Sail University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, DePaul University, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Rochester institute of Technology, University of Arizona, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, University of New Haven, David Eccles school of business- University of Utah , New York Film Academy ,Nova Southeastern University and University of San Francisco.

A statement from the University delegation also expressed their views by saying “This was a great platform for student interaction for highlighting the values of the real-world experiences that would help them achieve their career prospects.”

The Universities have offered the students preferred enrolments in their Summer and Winter Immersion Programs and a waive off in IELTS and TOEFL Scores for Bennett University Students. 

Career After Liberal Arts Education 

Bennett University

Date: April 06, 2021

For a long time, in the Indian education context, the thought process of parents and students alike, has been to study a program that guarantees a job at the end of the program. Professions like engineer, doctor, chartered accountant are sought after, for their guarantee of a well paying and successful career. 

But, what about those students who are not so sure about what they would like to pursue, or students who would like more flexibility in their education based on the various interests and passions they have. To those students we suggest a Liberal Arts Education.The aim of a Liberal Arts education is to develop well-rounded individuals with general knowledge of a wide range of subjects and with mastery of a range of transferable skills. A typical liberal arts degree program is interdisciplinary, covering topics within the humanities, as well as social, natural, and formal sciences. A liberal arts education builds students into open communicators, critical and creative thinkers.

Many other degree programs emphasize technical skills while neglecting vital competency. A liberal arts degree offers a wide range of highly sought-after skills, like effective oral and written communication skills, problem-solving, data analysis, effective research skills, ability to work in a team, self-confidence, foreign language skills and cross-cultural knowledge to name a few. But, as always, the question of careers and the ability to make a successful living always crop up. Is a LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION worth it? What are the CAREER PROSPECTS? 

To answer these questions and many more, please join the Bennett University “Careers After Liberal Arts Education” Webinar. The panel will consist of Dr Bashabi Fraser, Dr Benjamin Lamb, Dr Elisabetta Marino, and Dr Neil Fraser who will be interacting with the BA Liberal Art students at Bennett University.

Dr. Bashabi Fraser is Professor Emerita, and a former Professor of English and Creative Writing. Dr. Bashabi is also a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the University of Dundee and an Honorary Fellow at the Centre for South Asian Studies at the University of Edinburgh.Dr. Benjamin Lamb joined Teesside’s Humanities Department in 2015. He has lectured in media theory at the University of East Anglia’s School of Arts, Media, and American Studies and the University of South Wales’ Faculty of Creative Industries.Dr. Elisabetta Marino is an Assistant Professor of English at University of Rome Tor Vergata. Dr. Neil Fraser is a Social Policy expert, Edinburgh University, Scotland.

To see where your passion and diverse interests can take you, join us on the 9th of April 2021 from 2:30 pm to 3:35pm. To Register, click on the link: bit.ly/3moO4I4

Bennett University Releases updated Scholarship Criteria

Date: December 12, 2019

Bennett University, Greater Noida has declared a 100% scholarship for students taking admission in MBA for 2020-22 batch. The admission is granted on the basis of scores obtained in CAT/ XAT/ GMAT/ GRE/ NMAT/ MAT/ CMAT. The final selection will also include a personal interview with faculty panel from the School of Management at Bennett University. 

The scholarships will range from 10% to 100% of tuition fees as per the score of the candidate. Also, to promote diversity, Bennett University is offering a top-up scholarship of 5% on Tuition Fee for students with working experience of more than 2 years. The unique feature of the merit-based scholarship is the continuance criteria where the scholarship provided in 1st year will continue in the 2nd year as well provided the student fulfills the laid down academic and non-academic criteria. 

Know more: Bennett University Scholarships

Talking about the same, Sachin Jain, president of BU said, “More than 80% of MBA 2019-21 batch has availed varied levels of merit-based scholarships, which is a testimonial of Bennett University’s resolve to invest in meritorious students and provide financial aid to acquire an internationally recognized degree from one of the top MBA school.”

Backed by the globally acclaimed faculty from IIM’s, FMS, XLRI, University of London and Times of India Group, the MBA program at BU offers specializations in Business Analytics, Finance, Marketing, and Media Management. The program has been able to maintain a 100% placement record for its earlier batches and witnessed a promising start of placement season for its 2018-2020 batch. The recruiters who have already visited the campus for the placement of the MBA students include KPMG, Deloitte, LG, Bata, Colgate Palmolive, Yes Bank, TCS, UB Group, Zycus, ITC, HDFC Bank and Huawei.

How Genome editing help in coping with food demand?     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Date: July 3, 2019

The new technique, used to rewrite the genetic code, is a better alternative to enhance the quality and quantity of the crops, writes Deepa Khare.

World population is increasing exponentially and is expected to grow further. As a result, there has been a proportionate increase in food demand. To fulfill the burgeoning demand for food and nutrition, the yield and nutritional value of food crops need to be enhanced, that too, with limited agricultural land. During the past few decades, crop food productivity has been increased through genetic modifications (GM) utilizing GMO technology. However, due to the huge controversy over the acceptance of GM crops, there is an urgent need to use alternative biotechnological techniques. The better alternative of GM crops can be genome editing.

It is intriguing to understand the difference between GM crops and the genome editing of crops. The GM crops or commonly known as transgenic crops are generated from copying the required gene from an organism (either plants, animals or microbes) and pasting it in the crop that needs to be modified. Whereas, the genome editing is the editing of the existing genome as per the requirement. In simple words, genome which is DNA is the book and genome editing is the like editing the book by the editor to make it better for readers. Traditionally, genome editing was achieved using breeding, however, breeding takes years to get the expected change in the crop.

GM Organisms (GMOs) are widely used for medical applications. However, GM crops are yet to gain wide acceptance in the world. It is assumed that the DNA from the GM crops can be horizontally transferred to the non-GM crops. Some GM crops are produced using genes which produce toxic compounds against pest attack such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) crops.

Check: Bennett University Courses & Fees

On the other hand, genome editing seems to be a better alternative to GM techcrops. The new unique used for genome editing known as CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Inter Spaced Palindromic Repeats) coupled with Cas9 (a nuclease) is quite encouraging. It has been very successful for editing the genome of all organisms including the agricultural crops. Genome editing can be used to rewrite the genetic code according to the requirement without using transgene (a gene from a different organism).

No doubt there is an urge to improve the quality of the existing crops to enhance the yield and to resist several stresses including those caused by global warming. The improved crops are the only solution to fulfill the demand of the world to cope with hunger. Genome editing using the new technique is, therefore, a better alternative to enhance the quality and quantity of the crops. The Biotech program at Bennett University has implemented focussed R&D, designed exclusive lab facility for Genome Engineering and curricular activities such as core/elective courses and projects to utilize genome editing.

By Deepa Khare
Assistant Professor
Dept.of Biotechnology, Bennett University