By Jenny Kalish
jkalish@heritage.com

Henry Ford College President Stan Jensen presents Panwar College Director/Co-founder Brijender Singh Panwar (left) and his wife, Lalita, with gifts during their visit to HFC July 16. Photo courtesy of Henry Ford College

Henry Ford College on July 16 welcomed the founders of M.S. Panwar Community & Technical College in Solan, Shimla Hills, India, for an on-campus visit.

Upon their arrival, Panwar College Director/Co-founder Brijender Singh Panwar and his wife, Lalita, were greeted by Henry Ford College President Stan Jenson. HFC staff members and students were also present to learn more about Panwar College, as well as to share information with its founders about HFC and its many programs.

The meeting served as a starting point in developing collaborative programs that will benefit both educational institutions and add specific value to the educational experiences of HFC students, HFC reported.

Panwar College was founded 10 years ago with the mission to balance academics and extracurricular activities within an arts infrastructure on campus. The admissions process at the college begins in June and classes begin in July.

Brijender is a Fulbright Scholarship recipient for the 2014-15 academic year. The title of his Fulbright project is “The U.S. Community College Model: Potential for Application in India.”

He earned his Ph.D. in mass communications from the University of Hyderabad in India; his graduate degree in english literature from the University of Delhi in India; and his undergraduate degree in journalism with a specialization in development communications from the Punjab Agricultural University in India. Before going into academics, Brijender worked in the fields of journalism and public relations.

According to Dr. Lisa Copprue, HFC vice president of Student Affairs, the Panwars are interested in forming partnerships with HFC’s Telecommunication and Fine & Performing Arts programs, given Brijender’s background.

“They feel established the most in those areas at their college. It should give our students a leg up in terms of international exposure to programs in the arts,” Copprue said. “This will be a mutually beneficial endeavor between HFC and Panwar College.”