IGNOU Prof wins prestigious (UKIFRI) award

New Delhi, Nov 4 (UNI) Director, Inter University Consortium, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Prof P R Ramanujam, and Director, International Centre for sign languages and Deaf Studies, Central Lancashire University, UK, Prof Ulrike Zeshan, have bagged the prestigious International UKIERI Award.

According to an IGNOU release issued here today, Prof Ramanujam had submitted a research proposal titled ''Distance Education for sign Languages Users'', which he jointly developed with Prof Zeshan.

The proposal was evaluated by international experts through the British Council. After rigorous evaluation of some 150 proposals, submitted from around the world for research awards under UKIERI DST Science and Technology Awards 2007 under the UK-India Education and Research Initiative, the proposal submitted by Prof Ramanujam and Prof Zeshan has been selected for the award which is supported with 50,000 British pounds and other technical support over a period of three years from April 2008.

The research award is meant for developing the much needed Indian sign languages and through it teaching of English as a second language for the benefit of the deaf and hearing impaired whose number is estimated to be five million in India, the release added.

UNI