Follow Dr. Shashi Tharoor on Google+ to discuss the future of higher education in India

Higher education is one of the principal drivers of the economic growth of a country. Minister of state for HRD, Dr. Shashi Tharoor will take questions from citizens on the future of higher education in the country. On May 9th, 2013 at 7 pm (IST)  he will be joined by people from across the globe on a Google+ Hangout.

Dr Tharoor is one of the early adopters of social media in India and a true believer in the power of the Internet. His Google+ Hangout will be moderated by senior journalist Sonia Singh. Dr Tharoor will be addressing questions on challenges in higher education like faculty shortage, low number of accredited institutions and more.

Google+ is all about creating a better experience across Google, and provides a powerful communications platform for users. Since its launch in July 2011, the Google+ community has grown rapidly with more than 500 million users worldwide. Google+ Hangouts allow up to 10 people participating at a point of time to join the hangout. You can later share the hangout on YouTube or live stream it using Hangouts on Air.

Watch out for the Google+ Hangout live with Dr Shashi Tharoor on the Google India +Page at google.com/+GoogleIndia or subscribe to the InConversation YouTube channel. You can participate in this hangout by posting your questions for Dr Tharoor on this link.

Be a part of Google Student Ambassadors (GSA) Program 2013

The magic of success is a perfect blend of education, passion, hard and smart work. In today’s fast changing technology landscape, programs that bridge the gap between what is taught in the college and what is sought by the industry are important. Google facilitates one such partnership through its Google Student Ambassador (GSA) program – where we partner with academia to promote the use of technology in everyday lives. The Google Student Ambassador is a liaison between Google and the students’ college or university. The Ambassadors work directly with Google to conduct activities within their campuses during the academic year, - introducing fellow students to new Google products and features, and acting as campus contacts connecting Google with partnering institutions.

Following an overwhelming response to the program last year, we are working with over 500 colleges and universities in India, this year, to identify and recruit Student Ambassadors for the upcoming academic year. After a pre-defined series of evaluations and interviews, 300 GSA’s will be selected to represent their educational institutions this year. We are currently in the process of identifying faculty members who would act as the single point of contact to support the program in each of the shortlisted educational institutions. This year we are accepting applications only from the students who are referred by the identified faculty members.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for students who are:

• Studying in one of the identified institutions – listed HERE.

• Going to be enrolled in the pre-final year of their Under Graduate or Graduate studies in the 2013-2014 academic year.
  
• Referred by the identified point of contact from one of the shortlisted institutions – mentioned HERE.
  
• Passionate about technology, learning and sharing.
  
• Able to work with students and college authorities to drive various programs and initiatives.

The point of contact for each institution is updated on a daily basis. Please keep checking the list to see if the contact for your college or university has been identified. If you satisfy the above mentioned criteria, and have a passion to learn and share information about cutting-edge technology, then this is your opportunity to make a difference.
GET IN TOUCH with the identified faculty contact from your institution, REQUEST him/her to refer your name for the program, we will get in touch with you and get to know you better and select the most deserving candidate from your institution.
Come, be a part of a Technology Revolution!