JGU Becomes India's First University To Receive QS IGAUGE E-LEAD Certification For Excellence In Online Education

After a detailed audit, QS IGAUGE has certified JGU as a globally recognised and benchmarked higher education institution to offer online education programmes. This important certification places JGU as a leading university, which has the transformational technological ability and platforms to conduct academic programmes online.

The Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal `Nishank' delivered the Chief Guest's Address at a virtual event held on 13^th May to unveil and present E-LEAD certificates to the institutions that have successfully completed an audit. The Secretary General of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), Professor (Dr.) Pankaj Mittal was the Guest of Honour on the occasion.

QS IGAUGE is the Indian arm of global rankings and ratings agency QS, which established the E-LEAD: E-Learning Excellence for Academic Digitisation. QS IGAUGE deployed its outstanding global resources to create a global best practises document and methodology, with an aim to do a readiness check of institutions in India in adopting technology and technology-enabled services for online teaching.

"I am delighted that O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) has received the E-LEAD Certification from QS IGAUGE. This is a remarkable recognition that has come at a time when online education is not just an option to consider for universities, but is an inevitable necessity to do justice to the goals and aspirations of the students. Online education and digital learning opportunities have the ability to contribute towards democratisation of the higher education system with strong emphasis on quality, accessibility, inclusivity, and excellence. This international recognition for JGU ensures that current and future students of JGU can benefit from the QS IGAUGE E-LEAD Certification that the institution is ready to continue offering programmes online, while maintaining the highest standards of excellence. But it is important to recognise that the focus on online education and digital readiness transcends the current global pandemic crisis and Indian universities need to be significantly empowered to develop online education through blended learning platforms that will promote flexibility, innovation, freedom and adaptability to all forms of learning ecosystems. This is going to the the future of higher education, both during and after Covid-19," said Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global University.

"The methodology, data collection & validation, audit process, quality check and delivery mechanism have been thoroughly reviewed by experts from the higher education domain." said Dr. Ashwin Fernandes, Regional Director - South Asia, Middle East & Africa, QS Quacquarelli Symonds & CEO, QS-ERA India Pvt. Ltd.

QS IGAUGE launched E-LEAD programme in the backdrop of current developments in the past six months. Under the threat of Covid-19, India has made significant technological advancements in the space of e-learning as Indian institutions never imagined the need to go 100% online. The administration of many institutions were hit hard when they were faced with immediate closure and the need to transform hundreds of their brick and mortar classrooms to online virtual ones. Institutions have immediately made plans to continue teaching through innovative methods online which necessitated the need for benchmarking.