The NMAM Institute of Technology of the Nitte Education Trust has signed an MoU with Penn State Harrisburg, USA to offer a 2+2 engineering programme for students. The first of its kind twinning programme in India offers a bachelor’s degree in engineering, where students can complete the first two years of their study at Nitte and the next two years at Penn State, USA.

Nitte Education Trust president N Vinay Hegde was addressing a press conference in the city on June 14, 2011.

“Penn State Harrisburg campus is located at Middle Town, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania State University, the biggest and widely respected university of USA, has 24 campuses. Over 90,000 students study in this university,” he stated. Hegde revealed that this was the first time in its history of 150 years that Penn State Harrisburg has entered into an understanding with an educational institution from outside USA. Under the agreement, the students can pursue courses in civil engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, and mechanical engineering courses.

“The agreement between the two institutions will pave way for having identical syllabi, teaching, valuation, and exchange of opinions. This ensures availability of global level quality engineering education in India. The students who successfully complete the course will get their engineering science degrees from Pennsylvania State University. Under the new twinning programmes with foreign universities envisaged by AICTE rules, this course will begin August this year,” he added.

The major highlight is that students who successfully complete the programme, will get a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. The same degree will be given to Indian students like any other student studying at Penn State. The programme, which is being offered under the new twinning programme with foreign universities scheme of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), would commence in August this year, Vinay said adding that Penn State Harrisburg is located on a suburban campus in Middletown, Pennsylvania near Harrisburg International Airport.