The O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) has launched the Graduate Research Immersion Programme (GRIP) Scholarships to mentor and support the 2020 graduating students in overcoming the challenges posed by COVID-19 on their careers and future plans. This unique and innovative scholarship programme will enable the 2020 graduating students of JGU to pursue a research immersion programme immediately after their graduation while finding their pathways and career opportunities at the end of the GRIP Scholars Initiative.

Under this path-breaking initiative, 100 research scholarships will be provided to meritorious graduating students of JGU to augment their research capabilities and other skills, besides enabling them to gain the much needed work experience.

The GRIP Scholarship Initiative is a six-month programme, which will commence from September 1^st of this year. Under the initiative, GRIP Scholars will be selected through a competitive process from among the JGU students graduating in 2020. They will work closely with accomplished and outstanding global faculty of JGU and will be provided with generous and comprehensive institutional support from the university to further develop their competencies and skills.          

During the programme, GRIP Scholars will benefit from one-on-one supervision, mentorship and guidance from JGU’s reputed scholars in the disciplines of law, management, international relations, public policy, liberal arts and humanities, and journalism. The GRIP Scholars will also be encouraged to take active part in advancing JGU’s research programmes through the university’s 55 research centres and three research and capacity building institutes.

“The launch of this new and transformative scholarship programme aims to provide research opportunities for selected graduating students of JGU in 2020 to undertake an innovative research immersion programme at JGU. In the uncertain scenario of the academic world grappling with the COVID-19 crisis, it is impossible to predict the return of normalcy and the lifting of restrictions. The Graduate Research Immersion Programme (GRIP) Scholarships assists our graduates to ensure continuity and consistency in their learning, educational and career aspirations. The students are at the heart of what we are doing at JGU. There is no other moment in India’s educational imagination and our own institutional history than now that our graduates need guidance, help, support and mentorship. The global pandemic has systemically impacted every aspect of higher education and it is important for universities rise up to the occasion to provide a helping hand to their graduates,” said Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice-Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University.

“The GRIP Scholarship is a unique initiative that aligns with the founding vision of JGU to build a world-class university in India that will transform the landscape of higher education. Our students are at the centre of this vision, and the GRIP Scholarships are intended to be an empowering opportunity for the 2020 JGU graduates to overcome this crisis in a far more effective manner. The GRIP Scholarships Initiative of JGU is part of our vision to promote institutional values of University Social Responsibility (USR) with a view to providing leadership and support at this time of crisis,” Professor Raj Kumar said. 

The programme will provide unique and wide-ranging opportunities for GRIP Scholars to interact with industry experts, practitioners, lawyers, judges, leading national and international academics and researchers, journalists, government officials, and institutional leaders who are regularly hosted at JGU as part of the University’s broad institutional agenda of advancing intellectual debates, discussions and collaboration across disciplinary areas and boundaries.

Apart from the scholarship in the form of financial support, JGU will provide accommodation and other benefits and privileges to the GRIP Scholars for the duration of the programme. The selected GRIP Scholars will need to be on the University campus for the duration of the programme as this not an online scholarship programme as faculty mentorship is a critical component of the programme.

The GRIP Scholarships Initiative addresses the challenges faced by our graduating students, enabling them to navigate the ongoing crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The ensuing lockdown and lack of opportunities or clarity to pursue learning or career streams has created uncertainty for many students. The objective of this programme is to support graduating students in their overall career progression and transition into their higher education or professional careers.