Azim Premji Foundation, TISS in pact to set up APSE

They inked a MoU under which Azim Premji Foundation will provide financial support to APSE at TISS, Hyderabad, including for research, programmes and infrastructure.

The APSE at TISS Hyderabad will offer degrees and education programmes and also conduct research in the field of education.

"Azim Premji University is a unique university focused on education and development. Our collaboration with the Foundation will strengthen both the institutions, towards the goal of improving education in India, teaching and field work," TISS Director S Parasuraman told reporters here.

The new institute at Hyderabad will be fully operational in two years. It will leverage significantly from the work at other campuses of TISS, as well from the Azim Premji University, which has been set up by the Foundation.

"We will start the session from this academic year (2011) at a state government educational institution in Hyderabad and later it will be shifted to the TISS campus," Parasuraman said.

Azim Premji Foundation Executive Officer Dileep Ranjekar said improving quality of education must be one of India's key goals.

"We think this task needs organisations who have shared vision to collaborate deeply. Tata Institute of Social Sciences is India's pioneering institute on social issues and we are honoured to collaborate with them," he said.