Wise Prize Laureate Dr. Madhav Chavan to Speak at the 2013 IIT Global Conference in Houston

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HOUSTON: Co-Founder and CEO of Pratham, Dr. Madhav Chavan, will be in Houston to speak at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) 2013 Global Conference “Sustainability, Technology, Energy, Education and Life Sciences/Health,” happening on December 6-8, at the Hilton Americas.

Dr. Chavan, who is the 2012 recipient of the prestigious WISE Award in Education, will be participating in a panel discussion on issues facing K-12 education. A chemist by profession, Dr. Chavan has spent the past 20 years bringing attention to the systemic problem of education for India’s poor and innovating solutions in primary education that can be rapidly expanded to have maximum impact.

“We are delighted to have Dr. Chavan sharing his unique insights and experiences,” said Witty Bindra, Chair of the conference. “Dr. Chavan is a well-recognized name in the Indian diaspora. His attending the conference will bring a lot of value for the IITians and Houstonians in the audience.”

When asked about taking part in the panel Dr. Chavan responded, “Considering that I could not get into IIT, it is great to be participating in this conference! I am looking forward to exchanging thoughts and ideas related to India’s education scenario.”

“Providing excellent education that is accessible to all members of the society is the “holy grail” of early and K-12 education in the US, India, and around the world,” said Shail Kumar, co-leader of the Education Program track for the conference. “Pratham has created a sustainable model that serves the under-served communities on a large scale. Having Dr. Chavan in the early and K-12 panel at the IIT 2013 Global Conference will make the discussion even more valuable and inspiring,” he added.

Joining Dr. Chavan on the panel are President of Pearson Education’s Science, Business & Technology Division, Paul F. Corey; Co-Founder of KIPP and Superintendent KIPP Houston, Mike Feinberg; and Executive Director of Ekal Vidyalaya, Ranjani Saigal. The panel will take place on Saturday, December 7, from 10:30-11:45 AM CST at the Hilton Americas and will be moderated by University Provost, Dr. George McLendon.

For further information on the education panel, IIT Global Conference and how to participate, visit www.iit2013.org.

ABOUT PRATHAM

Pratham was established in 1994 to provide pre-school education to underprivileged children in the city of Mumbai. Madhav Chavan and Farida Lambay co-founded the organization with support from UNICEF and the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Together, they built a grassroots team around a simple mission: “every child in school and learning well.” Today, Pratham is India’s largest non-governmental organization in education, working in 20 states across India, reaching over 1.5 million children annually.

ABOUT PRATHAM USA

Pratham USA is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to building awareness and raising resources for education reform in India. Pratham USA has chapters in 14 US cities, with supporters representing a range of individuals and organizations that share a strong personal commitment to improving child literacy. For more information, visit us at www.prathamusa.org.