India-focused education organisation wins UK awards

A London-based organisation assisting Indian students with their needs in a foreign country, including during the pandemic lockdowns, is among the worldwide winners of two prestigious higher education awards in the UK.

The National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK emerged as the winner of the Student Support Award and its founder and chair, Sanam Arora, was awarded for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry at the 2022 PIEoneer Awards earlier this month. NISAU UK held back the awards announcement during the state mourning period for Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in Scotland on September 8. "I dedicate this award to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who embodied public service and duty in all that she did; and to Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Ambedkar, Pandit Nehru; the founders of my beloved India; and the hundreds of thousands of Indian students who have studied in the UK over the years," said Arora.

"Our two countries are tied by much but it is this educational partnership that defines the essence of our connection and it has been the honour of my life to have been able to develop the NISAU - an organisation that enables young people to support each other and become each other's home away from home," she said. NISAU UK also received a commendation in a third category it was shortlisted for, as Association of the Year, along with New Delhi based artificial intelligence (AI) enabled education marketplace LeverageEdu, which was highly commended in its two shortlisted categories: Digital Innovation of the Year (Technology) for its "Study Abroad with LeverageEdu App" and International Student Recruitment Organisation of the Year. Besides, the University of Auckland in New Zealand won the Marketing Campaign of the Year award for its India Support Programme (ISP).

Now in their sixth edition, the PIEoneer Awards were set up to celebrate innovation and achievement across the whole of the global education industry. "With a distinguished judging panel representing geographical and professional diversity, the PIEoneer Awards recognise both individuals and organisations who are pushing professional standards, evolving their engagement or redefining the international student experience," PIEoneer Awards said. Among this year's worldwide judging panel were Janaka Pushpanathan, Director for British Council, South India, and Sonya Singh, Founder of SIEC Education in India and Australia.