At the invitation of the Swiss Federal Government, Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship paid a visit to Switzerland on 21-23 June, 2016 in order to strengthen relations in skill development between the two countries.
During the visit, the Minister made a Keynote Speech on “Skill Development in India: Opportunities and Challenges” at the International Congress on Vocational and Professional Education and Training in Winterthur on 21 June, 2016. He also met the Swiss Federal President H.E. Mr. Johann Schneider-Ammann.
The next day i.e. on 22 June, he signed a bilateral MoU on Cooperation in the fields of Skill Development as well as Vocational and Professional Education and Training, which was co-signed by Mr. Mauro Dell’Ambrogio, State Secretary, State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) of the Swiss Confederation from Swiss side. Under the MoU, consultations will be held under the umbrella of an Indo-Swiss Joint Working Group (JWG) for exploring possible cooperation activities and the two countries will exchange best practices in this crucial area in pursuance of Hon’ble Prime Minister’s Skill India Programme.
Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy also met Mrs. Ursula Joshi, the co-founder and promoters of the Bharatiya Skill Development Campus (BSDC) in Mahindra World City, Jaipur, and the Rajsthan Skills University, and Dr. Francesco Gherzi, Chairman of the Swiss-Indian Chamber of Commerce (SICC), Zurich. The Dr. Rajendra and Ursula Joshi Foundation has also funded other philanthropic educational ventures in Rajasthan and has supported Nalanda University in Bihar through a US$ 1 million endowment. In the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Rajasthan Smt. Vasundhara Raje, the State Government of Rajasthan signed an MOU with BSDC to set up a Skill Education University in Rajasthan. Dr. Francesco Gherzi is setting up a Centre of Excellence and Vocational Education & Training (VET) in Pune, whose ground breaking ceremony was held in April 2016 through the auspices of the SICC.
Mrs. Ursula Joshi and Dr. Francesco Gherzi held fruitful discussions with the Hon’ble Minister. Through these centres, Swiss best practices will be spread in India. Switzerland is judged to have the best education system in the world : http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/wef-report_swiss-education-system-judged-best-in-the-world/42258918
