IU expands partnership with defense institute

IU has expanded its partnership with the Institute for Defense and Business to provide degree programs and training in global business, logistics and strategic management.

The agreement, formalized by Provost Lauren Robel Monday, details a five-year partnership with North Carolina-based Institute for Defense and Business, established in 2000 to provide educational programs for disparate groups in defense and nondefense sectors. The Institute frequently collaborates with leading military and civilian academic institutions, according to a press release.

“The partnership benefits them because IU has a wealth of cultural, regional and political experts who can enter into any event that is sponsored by the Department of Defense,” said Richard Magjuka, Kelley School of Business Indianapolis professor Richard Magjuka.

Starting in the summer of 2014, the collaboration will allow interested students to attend conferences and seminars on cultural immersion, achieving operational excellence and new technologies in the field, Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives Munirpallam Venkataramanan said.

The institute began a partnership with IU in 2001. The collaboration, called Logtech, focused primarily on logistics, Venkataramanan said. Since then, IU faculty have taught in other institute-sponsored programs.

IU has been a key academic partner for the organization, providing education for professionals in governmental, military, nongovernmental and private sectors, according to a press release.

“This partnership expands to include academic units such as the School of Global and International Studies, the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, the School of Public Health, the School of Education and IU Online,” Venkataramanan said.

The expansion of the partnership also allows IU to provide a variety of educational certificate programs to the Department of Defense in areas not limited to business, Magjuka said.

“By expanding to all of IU it significantly broadens the ability of IDB to provide education and thought leadership to the Department of Defense and the defense industry,” he said.

The programs offered through the partnership will help military or private-sector personnel learn how to use logistics to improve efficiency, Venkataramanan said. For example, in the School of Informatics and Computing, students can learn computing skills that could help them in defense-related fields.

“Another aspect of this partnership is that it allows people in their sector or military to gain an IU degree so they can use it once they get out of their sector or enlistment,” Venkataramanan said.

Though IU has formed partnerships with the State Department in the past, he said, collaboration with the armed forces during the last seven years has enhanced the collaboration.

The partnership not only helps the armed forces and private sector, it also provides IU faculty and students with access to data for research related to defense, Venkataramanan said.

It will also allow participants to benefit from IU’s online courses.

“The ability for those in the program to gain an IU degree online has been one of the reasons the program continues to be strong,” Venkataramanan said. “The participants have the ability to gain their degree from anywhere in the country.”

Follow reporter Angela Hawkins on Twitter @angelalhawkins.