The British Council Celebrated the UK Alumni from India

The British Council hosted the Education UK Alumni Awards 2015 to honour outstanding success in Entrepreneurship, Professional Achievement, and Social Impact by Indians who have graduated from UK higher education institutions. The winners of the award were announced at a gala award ceremony on Saturday, February 28 in New Delhi, attended by leaders from government, industry and education, as well as other outstanding UK alumni. The guest of honour at this special evening was Professor Nick Petford, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Northampton.

The first- ever Education UK Alumni Awards were launched by the British Council in September 2014 for UK alumni from India, mainland China and the USA, who have returned to their respective countries after completing their higher education studies in the UK, and graduated within the last ten years. 

The award ceremony witnessed presence of distinguished UK alumni, Amit Mehra, Founder and CEO of the RML Group presenting the award for the Entrepreneurship category to Amit Inamdar, founder of PlusOne Design for Humanity from University of Liverpool; Meenu Vadera, Founder- Sakha Consulting Wings Private limited and Founder/Executive Director– Azad Foundation for India giving the Social Impact award to Rajesh Babu Bhatchala from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for his initiative, Drishti Vision for Life in Karnataka and Manoj Jain, Country Sector Coordinator/ World Bank- Lead Financial Management Specialist presenting the Professional Achievement award to writer, Siddharth Chowdhury from University of Stirling.

“We are committed to welcoming Indian students to study in the UK and over the last decade, over 250,000 Indians have studied in UK’s universities and colleges. The Education UK Alumni Awards 2015 celebrates the impact of the experience of studying and living in the UK. The awards recognise the outstanding achievements made by business professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders who have demonstrated how their UK education has impacted on their career,” Rob Lynes, Director, British Council India.

The winner of the Entrepreneurial Award, Amit Inamdar, founder of PlusOne Design for Humanity said, “In retrospect, pursuing my higher education in the UK was certainly the right decision that I made as it has helped me not only to widen my horizons but also provided me the global exposure to further hone my creative skills. The UK continues to be one of the most attractive destinations for Indian students looking to build a strong career and an enriching life.”

Rajesh Babu Bhatchala, receiver of the Social Impact Award said, “The UK gives you an incredible mix of international cultures and contemporary thinking, held together by a strong sense of identity and tradition; I never felt I was away from home. The experience of studying and living in the UK has indeed equipped me in project planning skills, which has enabled me to lead a strong team and drive my vision forward. At Drishti Vision for Life, it is our endeavour to provide people of all economic backgrounds access to high quality eye care.”

Receiving the award on behalf of Siddharth Chowdhury, the recipient of the Professional Achievement Award, Lindsey Donald from University of Stirling said, “It is an honour to receive this award on behalf of Siddharth Chowdhury. It is a special day for us at University of Stirling and we congratulate Siddharth for this outstanding recognition. The best thing about studying in the UK is that it’s truly global, culturally diverse and offers valuable skills that help in accelerating professional aspirations opening up wider opportunities.”

The finalists will become a part of a new international UK Alumni Award Network, and winners will be invited to the UK to connect with government and industry leaders in a sector of their choice. In addition, the winners will also raise their international profile, expand their networks, and enhance their careers.

A recent research done by the British Council revealed that one in seven current world leaders have studied in the UK. The research analysis also found that of world leaders (Prime Minister or Head of State) who have studied at universities abroad, the proportion of UK alumni rose even higher to 34 per cent.

The UK offers a high quality education that is recognised by employers worldwide and offers a passport to global success. A recent QS global survey of 27,000 graduate employers showed that UK degrees are highly valued by employers worldwide. Graduates from Oxford and Cambridge were rated the most employable in the world, while London School of Economics, Imperial College London and the University of Manchester all made the top ten. Studies also show that UK-educated graduates achieve markedly higher average salaries in their home country.

Other celebrated alumni of the UK include designer Jimmy Choo, actress Parineeti Chopra, former US President Bill Clinton, co-founder of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman, Olympic gold medallist Annette Salmeen, Nobel Prize for Literature winner Wole Soyinka, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi and business magnate Zhang Xin.

Notes to Editors

Education UK Alumni Award categories:

Professional Achievement Award

Recognises alumni who have distinguished themselves through exemplary leadership and achievements in their professional industry, and who can demonstrate the highest level of integrity and character in their professional career.

Entrepreneurial Award

Successful applicants in this category will be active in initiating, or contributing to, innovative new business opportunities with strong growth prospects. This is the award for self-starters, go-getters and risk-takers.

Social Impact Award

The Social Impact Award acknowledges alumni who have made an exceptional contribution and commitment to creating positive social change and improving the lives of others.

More information on the Education UK Alumni 2015 awards is here: http://www.britishcouncil.org/education-uk-awards

Full details on all the finalists:

http://www.britishcouncil.org/education-uk-awards/finalists

List of UK Higher Education Institutions with 2015 finalists for India:

The British Council:

The British Council is recognised across India for its network of 9 libraries and cultural centres. We offer a range of specialised projects in arts, education, exams, English language and society to audiences across India and more than 100,000 members. We also provide access to English language training and learning for both students and teachers, offer UK qualifications in India and enable opportunities to study in the UK.

We also manage prestigious scholarships and training awards, including the Jubilee scholarships, the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan and the Charles Wallace India Trust awards. Our English language centres in Chennai, Delhi and Kolkata provide a range of general and business English classes, specialised skills based programmes and young learner courses. We work with a wide range of Indian partners in cities all over India enabling British and Indian experts to meet and collaborate and to nurture mutually beneficial relationships.