Harvard University set to open international office in Mumbai

New York: The US' prestigious Harvard University is set to open its international offices in India, China and South Africa to facilitate research and academic work for its affiliates in those regions.

Harvard is awaiting approval from the Indian government for its School of Public Health to open an office in Mumbai, a report in the college newspaper The Harvard Crimson said.

Apart from Mumbai, Harvard has authorised the formation of new international offices in Cape Town and Beijing and each office is in a different stage of development, Vice Provost for International Affairs Jorge I Dominguez was quoted as saying.

Dominguez said the proposed Indian office is in the earliest stages of development compared to the offices in China and South Africa, hoping that the approval from the Indian government will come this summer.

The Center for African Studies is expected to open an office in Cape Town by the end of 2015 or early 2016 and an expected office in Beijing would be connected to the existing Harvard Center Shanghai.

These offices, to be used for research and academic work for Harvard affiliates in those regions, would join 16 other Harvard offices across the globe, including several Latin America-based offices of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Business School locations across Asia and the recently-opened Medical School research centre in Dubai.

The Cape Town facility would serve as an "engaging space" for students and faculty as well as for the broader community in Africa.

The office in Beijing would be connected to the existing University-wide office in Shanghai and possibly serve a similar function. The Shanghai office includes a conference venue and facilitates internships for undergraduates.

Harvard University President Drew Faust has undertaken several measures to expand Harvard's international presence, visiting India in 2012 and China in March this year.