Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN), believed to be much publicised programme to attract Foreign Faculty to teach for a term in India is slowly gaining ground but primarily in technical education.

Foreign Faculty is teaching non-science courses only in four institutes namely- NIIT, Patna , Jamia Milia Islamia, IIT , Kharagpur and IIT, Gandhinagar. Foreign faculty is teaching a course on conservation and architectural heritage of 19th and 20th century. In Jamia Milia Islamia it is teaching a course on ‘Religious Fundamentalism in Global Perspective: Islam, Christianity and Judaism. In IIT Kharagpur a course is already underway on planning and management of cultural heritage sites. In IIT Gandhinagar a course on digitisation for cultural heritage is being taught.

297 courses have found approval by the apex body to be taught by the foreign faculty. 140 courses proposed by various universities/ institutes have been rejected. In case of 32 courses, foreign teachers are yet to confirm their acceptance to spend one term in India. In five other cases, foreign faculty has declined to come.

GIAN is a programme aimed at tapping the talent pool of scientists and entrepreneurs internationally to encourage their engagement with higher education institutes in India to augment the country’s academic resources and elevate country’s scientific and technological capacity to International excellence.

The objective of the programme is to arrange guest lectures by internationally renowned experts. The centre will spend $ 8,000 on each teacher for a term.

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