Nordic Centre in India

The Nordic Centre in India (NCI) is a consortium of leading universities and research institutions in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Established in 2001, its objective is to facilitate cooperation in research and higher education between the Nordic countries and India. NCI supports a wide range of study and research activities in India and in the Nordic countries, acting as a bridge between Nordic academia and Indian partners. NCI's activities span higher education and research cooperation. It supports mobility in higher education between Nordic members and Indian partners through summer programmes, semester programmes, internship programmes, and customised programmes for member university students. On the research side, NCI assists member university researchers in networking and finding partners, and it promotes Indian and South Asian studies in the Nordic countries. The idea of establishing a Nordic Centre in India was discussed as early as 1995 during a meeting of the Nordic Association of South Asian Studies (NASA), an organisation established in 1990 to promote exchanges between researchers and students in South Asia Studies. Following these discussions, NCI was founded in 2001 as a consortium initially consisting of eight member universities and research institutions in the Nordic countries. Its early years were devoted to recruiting new members, setting up offices in India and the Nordic region, identifying collaboration partners in India, and tailoring study programmes for students from member universities. Initially NCI had a legal existence only in the Nordic countries. In 2004 it was approved by the Indian government and could set up a liaison office in India with the approval of the Reserve Bank of India. A formal decision on the approval was taken by the Minister for Human Resources Development (HRD) Arjun Singh and publicly announced during an official visit to India by the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen in October 2004. Already in 2000 the first director of NCI, Dr. Stig Toft Madsen, in consultation with Mr. P. N. Malik, formerly Administrative Director of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, explored the possibilities of establishing office space for Nordic researchers. Today NCI continues to operate as a joint centre representing Scandinavian universities and laboratories in India. It publishes news and opportunities relevant to its members, including joint calls, researcher highlights, and vacancies at member universities, and it maintains a presence that connects Nordic and Indian academic communities.

The possibility to establish a Nordic Centre in India was discussed already in 1995 during a meeting of the Nordic Association of South Asian Studies (NASA), an organisation established in 1990 to promote exchanges between researchers and students in South Asia Studies. As a result of this and following discussions, the Nordic Centre in India (NCI) was founded in 2001 as a consortium of leading universities and research institutions in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The objective of the consortium, which initially consisted of eight member universities and research institutions in the Nordic countries, was to strengthen and enhance Indian and South Asian studies in the Nordic countries and to support research activities in India and with Indian counterparts. The first years of NCI were devoted to the recruitment of new members of the consortium, to setting up the offices in India and in the Nordic region, identifying collaboration partners in India and tailoring study programmes for students from the member universities. Initially NCI had a legal existence only in the Nordic countries, but in 2004 it was approved by the Indian government and could set up a liaison office in India with the approval of the Reserve Bank of India. A formal decision on the approval was taken by the Minister for Human Resources Development (HRD) Arjun Singh and publicly announced during an official visit to India by the Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen in October 2004. Already in 2000 the first director of NCI, Dr. Stig Toft Madsen, in consultation with Mr. P. N. Malik who was formerly the Administrative Director of the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, explored the possibilities of establishing office space for Nordic researchers at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. Since its establishment, NCI has grown into a joint centre representing Scandinavian universities and laboratories in India. It facilitates and supports a wide range of study and research activities in India and in the Nordic countries, including higher-education mobility programmes and research cooperation. It continues to serve as a platform for academic exchange and collaboration between the Nordic countries and India.

• 2004

  Approved by the Indian government; set up a liaison office in India with approval of the Reserve Bank of India; publicly announced during Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen's visit in October 2004.

• 2001

  Nordic Centre in India founded as a consortium of leading universities and research institutions in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, initially with eight members.

• 2000

  First director Dr. Stig Toft Madsen explored possibilities of establishing office space for Nordic researchers.

• 1995

  The possibility to establish a Nordic Centre in India was discussed during a meeting of NASA.

• 1990

  Nordic Association of South Asian Studies (NASA) established to promote exchanges between researchers and students in South Asia Studies.

A joint academic consortium bridging Nordic universities and Indian research and higher-education partners.

• Summer programmes

  Short-term study programmes in India for students from member universities.

• Semester programmes

  Semester-length study opportunities in India for Nordic students.

• Internship programmes

  Internship placements in India for students from member universities.

• Customised programmes

  Tailored programmes for member university students.

• Research cooperation support

  Assistance to member university researchers in networking and finding partners.

1. 1Nordic Centre in Indianordiccentreindia.com
2. 2History | Nordic Centre in Indianordiccentreindia.com
3. 3Nordic Centre in Indiawikidata.org