UWC Mahindra College

UWC Mahindra College is a pre-university International Boarding School, located 40 km west of Pune in Maharashtra, India. It follows the International Baccalaureate (IB). It is one of the 18 United World Colleges. Established in 1997, by the patron of Mahindra Group, Harish Mahindra. The Chairman of Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra is the current Chairman of the School. The college is a two-year programme with about 250 full-time boarders.

Mahindra United World College India
Address
Village Khubawali, PO Paud

Pune
,
Maharashtra
,
412108

India
Coordinates18°32′29″N 73°35′09″E
Information
Other nameMUWCI
TypeIndependent, boarding school
MottoUWC makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future
Established1997 (1997)
OversightUnited World Colleges
ChairmanKeshub Mahindra
Head of CollegeSoraya Sayed Hassen
Faculty27
GenderCo-educational
Number of students240 (boarding)
Student to teacher ratio9:1
Campus size175 acres (0.71 km2)
Campus typeRural
National rankingAAAAA, 1# Boarding School in Maharashtra[1]
NewspaperOn The Hill
School fees29,500$ (2019-2020)
AffiliationInternational Baccalaureate
Websitewww.uwcmahindracollege.org

History

On 28 November 1997, Queen Noor of Jordan and Nelson Mandela inaugurated the UWC Mahindra College in India as one of the now eighteen United World Colleges (UWC) and the third UWC in Asia. The school was largely funded by donations (approximately US$8m) from the Mahindra family, especially Harish Mahindra.

The founding Head of College, David Wilkinson, together with his wife Veronica Wilkinson, had previously founded the Li Po Chun United World College in Hong Kong. In 2009, Jonathan Long became the Head of the College. In 2011, Pelham Lindfield Roberts became the Head of College until May 2018 when he moved to UWC in China. Following him, Soraya Sayed Hassen became the Head of College.

Campus

The college is located near the village of Paud in the Taluka Mulshi region of the western state of Maharashtra, India. It is around 40 km from the city of Pune (which, in turn, is around 100 km south-east of Mumbai). The MUWCI campus is situated on a hill surrounded by rural communities and overlooking the valley of the Mula river near Mulshi Dam.

The residential side of campus is divided into communal clusters called "Wadas". The Wadas house between 40 and 60 students and 4-6 teachers and families. Students live in independent houses of 8 students each, with communal courtyards. Teachers also serve as 'Wada parents' and 'House parents', providing a supportive residential learning context.

View of one of the staircases leading to the main academic quadrangle.

The campus is divided into a residential and an academic area. The campus of the school was designed by architect Christopher Charles Benninger. The design incorporates traditional elements and local building materials.[2][3]

Academics
A view of the academic area

UWC Mahindra College offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Students can also choose to do the UWC Mahindra College Project Based Diploma by choosing a research project to pursue during two years of study.[4]

College Meeting, May 2005

The following IB subjects are available at UWCMC, though offerings may change slightly year to year:[5][6][7]

  • Group 1: The Students' Best Language - English Literature (HL/SL), English Language And Literature (HL/SL), Spanish Literature (HL/SL), Hindi Literature (HL/SL), Language Self-Taught (HL/SL)
  • Group 2: Modern Language Acquisition - English B (HL/SL), Hindi B (HL/SL), Beginner's Hindi (SL), Spanish B (HL/SL), Spanish ab initio (SL), French B (HL/SL), German B (HL/SL)
  • Group 3: Individuals and Societies - Psychology (HL/SL), Philosophy (HL/SL), Global Politics (HL), History (HL/SL), Economics (HL/SL), Environmental Systems and Societies (SL)
  • Group 4: Experimental Sciences - Physics (HL/SL), Chemistry (HL/SL), Biology (HL/SL), Environmental Systems and Societies (SL), Computer Science (HL/SL).
  • Group 5: Mathematics - Mathematics (HL/SL), Mathematical Studies (1 year or 2 years) (SL)
  • Group 6: The Arts - Visual Arts (HL/SL), Film Studies (HL/SL), Theater (HL/SL).

Apart from formal subjects, the experiential learning programme (known as Triveni at UWCMC) forms a significant part of the students' education. Triveni is formed of three streams - (i) the IB CAS (Creativity, Action & Service) programme, (ii) Project & Travel Weeks (iii) a rich on-campus seminar and discussion series including This Is India, Global Affairs, guest speakers and more.

Students

Students in UWC Mahindra College represent many different nationalities. The Class of 2018 represents 57 countries.

Admission

Students are nominated to UWC Mahindra College via their UWC National Committees. Indian students, residents and PIO/OCI students can apply via the United World College Committee of India. The selection process is rigorous with an acceptance rate of 10-15%. The application process for Indian students starts in June and are finalized by January. The candidates are shortlisted based on potential to demonstrate UWC values and academic merit. Shortlisted candidates are invited to an overnight selection camp held at the UWCMC campus in Pune. During the camp, various activities are conducted including panel interviews, Group Discussions, Object-Presentation and various written and computer based tests. Based on the students' performance the committee nominates students to Mahindra UWC or any of the other sixteen United World Colleges.

Administration

David Wilkinson was the founding Head of College since the inception of UWC Mahindra College in 1997. In 2009, Jonathan Long was appointed as the Head of College and remained until 2011, when Pelham Lindfield Roberts joined.[8]

Alumni
gollark: Organic as in they contain organic compounds.
gollark: Yes, my premium MELON™ is virus-free and also guaranteed organic.
gollark: Hey, GTech melons are completely virus-free.
gollark: It would be quite cool.
gollark: One cool idea I had was a semi-automated market using Plethora to move items around between chests, using computers.

References
  1. www.careers360.com. "Top Schools in Maharashtra 2016". Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  2. Miller 2005, p. 23. (more information here)
  3. Business Week/Architectural Record award
  4. "UWC Mahindra College - Academics". UWC Mahindra College. UWC Mahindra College. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  5. "The International Baccalaureate Diploma". Components of the IB Diploma. Mahindra UWC of India. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  6. IB Diploma Programme#Subject groups
  7. http://www.ibo.org/en/school/000969/
  8. A message from the Board of Governors of UWCMC
  9. "Meet our Alumnus – Dhaval Chadha, A Serial Entrepreneur". UWC Mahindra College Blog. 14 November 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  10. Mehrotra, Neha (22 May 2017). "In Israel Where Army Service Is A Must, 'Conscientious Objectors' Are A Thriving Breed of Youngsters". Outlook India. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  11. "An Israeli Alumna's Conscientious Objection to Conscription". Medium.com. 17 November 2016.
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