This February, University President Frederick Lawrence and a delegation of professors and administrators will leave for a two-week trip to India in order to explore networking and partnership opportunities, according to a Jan. 13 BrandeisNOW press release.

The trip, which is scheduled to take place from Feb. 2 to 12, will include visits to Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. In an email to the Justice, Lawrence wrote that he and the members of his party will meet with scientists and university administrators, in addition to civil rights and social justice activists and alumni "who are working to make India and the world a better, healthier place."

University News Director Charles Radin, Director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life Daniel Terris, Prof. Bulbul Chakraborty (PHYS), Helaine and Alvin Allen Assistant Professor of Literature Harleen Singh (SAS), Prof. Preeta Banerjee (IBS) and Julie Smith-Bartoloni '90 from the Office of Development and Alumni Relations will accompany Lawrence on this trip.

In an interview with the Justice, Radin said that Lawrence will meet with various leaders in Delhi, such as Atul Punj, chairman of the Punj Lloyd Group, and Israeli ambassador to India Alon Ushpiz. Lawrence will also speak at two public forums: one in Delhi with former Attorney General of India Soli Sorabjee, who delivered a lecture at the University in April 2010, and one in Mumbai titled "Seeking Social Justice." In Bangalore, Lawrence will visit the National Centre for Biological Sciences, the Indian School of Business and Director of the Indian Institute of Science Professor P. Balaram.

Lawrence will also make a two-day stop in Singapore with Terris, where he will meet with President of Singapore Management University Arnoud De Meyer, President of the National University of Singapore Tan Chorh Chuan and Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS Professor Kishmore Mahbubani, who was the former Singaporean ambassador to the United Nations. Lawrence will also meet with prospective students in both countries.

The structure and goals of this trip are similar to that of Lawrence's trip to Israel last summer. According to Lawrence in the email, both trips are a part of the Brandeis Global Initiative, which was developed by the Office of Global Affairs.

"We are working to identify a limited number of countries in major regions of the world where the most valuable collaborations can be formed between Brandeis and local institutions," wrote Lawrence. The trips to India and Israel were scheduled first because of the University's existing connections in those countries, but the office is also "carefully exploring" potential additional collaborations with other countries.

Radin said that the University already has ongoing partnerships with institutions such as The Energy and Resources Institute in Delhi. In Bangalore, Profs. Eve Marder (BIOL) and Chakraborty have ongoing research connections, which have "laid the groundwork" for more potential collaborations, said Radin.

Lawrence wrote that there is a "vast potential" for partnership between the United States and India, especially in the fields of science, social justice and sustainable development.

Radin said he hopes this trip will result in an increase in students from the India studying at the University, more study abroad opportunities for Brandeis students in India and further development with the Global Initiative.

During his trip to Israel, Lawrence recounted many of his experiences on his blog. Radin confirmed Lawrence will continue to update his blog while he is in India.