"South Asia has become a global economic powerhouse, but to continue to progress more people need more English, along with the soft skills that are essential in the modern world – and these can only be developed by partnership and collaboration among leaders in government, education and business. The Summit is a real opportunity for these leaders to come together, share perspectives and start to build the partnerships essential for change."
"Cambridge English Language Assessment strives to ensure English language education is not only effective in terms of linguistic ability, but also delivers the skills required to improve career options and workplace productivity. Understanding the role of English in economic development is vital to future skills strategies."
"Employability is a far bigger challenge than unemployment. Language and communication skills are some of the major skill gaps found in our youth. To bridge this gap, FICCI has been persistently working with all stakeholders towards creating an ecosystem to enhance employability of graduates. FICCI is happy to partner in this Summit which is a step in this direction."
"The world is witnessing a shift of balance towards South Asia with India at the forefront of global corporate engagement. Today, India is the preferred knowledge economy with a vast pool of young professionals. To train and provide a skilled workforce to the world, the onus now is on the Government and Education Institutions. This summit aims at bringing together Government officials, Vice Chancellors of Universities, academia, educationalists and representatives of the corporate world to facilitate skill development and to deliberate and reflect on the challenges and their solutions. I am hopeful that this collaboration will have a snowballing effect on skill development in India."
Cambridge English Language Assessment and Cambridge University Press, part of the University of Cambridge, along with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), are delighted to host the first ‘FICCI - Cambridge English South Asia Partnership Summit’. This invitation-only event is an opportunity to discuss, debate and propose practical solutions for one of the most important issues facing young people in South Asia: how to gain the wide-ranging skills required for 21st-century employment. The event is an opportunity to discuss, debate and propose practical solutions for one of the most important issues facing young people in South Asia – how to gain the wide-ranging skills required for 21st-century employment. The event will build on the highly successful 2014 Summit. You can read a white paper based on the proceedings of the 1st Cambridge English – India Partnership Summit theme "Building partnerships for the future", held in New Delhi on 18 September 2014.
Our aim is to provide a positive context in which leaders from government, education and business, can share expertise and ideas, and create new partnerships. We firmly believe that it is only by collaboration and integration that we can ensure students leave higher education with the English language and personal skills needed for the region’s dynamic economy. Although the challenge is significant, we can find innovative solutions to complex problems and define practical reforms with real purpose and power by harnessing the transformational power of digital learning and the growing willingness for private and public sector collaboration.
We look forward to welcoming you to an informative, provocative and inspiring event. The Summit will be the foundation for a formal report to be circulated to government, business and education leaders across South Asia.
The venue for the summit is the Eros Hotel, Nehru Place, American Plaza, New Delhi 110019
