Stonehill International School establishes academic partnership with Pennsylvania Universities

 NewsPatrolling.com : In a strategic move to provide excellent academic opportunities, Stonehill International School recently signed a MoU with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) to establish an academic partnership between Stonehill and universities in Pennsylvania. The MoU was signed in the presence of Ms. Kanika Choudhary, Honorary Ambassador and Special Envoy for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Dr. Peter Garland, Executive Vice Chancellor, PASSHE and Dr. Tim Moerland, Provost, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Mr. Jitu Virwani, Founder – Stonehill International School and Chairman & MD, Embassy Group.

The partnership not only includes the 14 PASSHE public universities, but also the 89 private Pennsylvania colleges and universities which make up the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP). The academic partnership includes, but is not limited to:

·         Strategic alliances and partnerships with Pennsylvania colleges and universities;

·         Provision of information about colleges and universities in Pennsylvania;

·         Participation in pre-university programs in schools in India;

·         Student counselling, advising and enrolment;

·         Faculty and student exchanges;

·         Academic partnership including research, program development, courses and summer programs for students and faculty;

·         Professional development for teachers and administrators

Commenting on this positive development, Dr. Beverly Sortland, Head of School, Stonehill International School said, “We are excited to sign this partnership with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.  This collaboration will provide a unique learning opportunity for our students, and we are expecting the first cohort of visiting PASSHE faculty at Stonehill within the next couple of months. Workshops with the visiting faculty and Stonehill teachers and students are being planned.”

Mr. Jitu Virwani, Founder – Stonehill International School & CMD, Embassy Group was also present at the signing and he expressed, “One of the focus areas for Embassy has always been providing quality education and the cornerstone of the Embassy’s corporate ethos is a deep held conviction that education can change the lives of communities and generations to follow. We are continuously looking for ways to create larger platforms for our students and this strategic alliance with PASSHE is a testimony to our efforts.  We are positive that this partnership will bring about many synergies for both countries in the field of education”

Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with about 107,000 degree-seeking students and thousands more who are enrolled in certificate and other career-development programs. Collectively, the 14 universities that comprise the State System offer more than 2,300 degree and certificate programs in more than 530 academic areas. Nearly 520,000 State System university alumni live in Pennsylvania.

The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP), the only statewide organization that serves exclusively the interests of private higher education within the Commonwealth, exists to complement and support the work of campus leaders.  With a membership of 88 private colleges and universities within Pennsylvania, the Association provides a variety of services and programs tailored specifically to the needs and situation of independent higher education.