O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) today launched its 9th School: The Jindal School of Environment and Sustainability (JSES). The first interdisciplinary environmental studies school in an Indian university will be led by the renowned environmentalist, Professor (Dr.) Armin Rosencranz, formerly at Stanford University, as its founding Dean.

Left to Right: Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice-Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Prof. (Dr.) Armin Rosencranz, the Dean of the Jindal School of Environment and Sustainability, Dr. Bibek Debroy, Mr. Justice Michael D. Wilson, Judge, Supreme Court of Hawaii, USA, M. C. Mehta, Aditya Ghosh

The establishment of the 9th school of JGU, JSES is a significant step in the context of mitigating the immense challenges that are facing the environment in India and the world. We face an increasing array of environmental challenges that require greater levels of innovation and collaboration among industry, government, academics and communities.

“The Jindal School of Environment and Sustainability (JSES) hopes to lead India and the world towards a sustainable future with an innovative and interdisciplinary teaching pedagogy, cutting-edge research and practice-based engagement. The School will develop a strategic plan that builds a sustainable future in these challenging times. Through national and international collaborations, JSES will promote joint teaching and research programmes, and a comparative perspective on environment and sustainability issues. There is a need for providing intellectual and academic leadership in the field of environmental studies and that is the institutional goal of JSES,” said Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice-Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University.

Speaking at the Launch Conference, Honourable Mr. Justice Michael D. Wilson, Judge, Supreme Court of Hawaii, USAsaid, “The establishment of the Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability is a significant step for India and the world. We need India to provide leadership on addressing the challenge of sustainability. The issue being faced by judges internationally is climate change. Executive branch has to work in correlation with the judicial branch in order to bring about a significant change. Do the right thing and change will happen.” Citing a study by the Centre for Climate Change at Cambridge, he called for deep and rapid emissions reduction, create new carbon dioxide sinks and re-freeze the North and South Poles.

JSES will offer B.A .(Hons.) in Environmental and Sustainability Studies. In the near future, JSES will integrate Study Abroad; Postgraduate (Master of Environmental and Sustainable Development, Mater of Environmental Legal Studies, Master of Environmental management/Sciences and policy); Doctoral programme (Doctor of Philosophy in Environment and Sustainability).

Environment and Sustainability is an evolving discipline that covers many aspects of our daily lives. “A primary goal of the Jindal School of Environment and Sustainability is to offer undergraduate students a concentration in environmental studies with an opportunity to explore how humans interact with the environment, including physical, biological, philosophical, social and legal elements. By attracting internationally qualified faculty members and pooling together interdisciplinary scholars under a single school, JSES is positioning itself as a producer of knowledge and shaper of careers in environment and sustainability,” said Prof. (Dr.) Armin Rosencranz, the Dean of the Jindal School of Environment and Sustainability.

Professor (Dr.) Armin Rosencranz was educated at Princeton (AB – arts bachelor) and Stanford (LL. B; MA and PhD in political science). At Stanford, he had several roles, including student body president, faculty resident in an undergraduate dorm, faculty member and Stanford trustee. He taught energy and climate for many years at Stanford with his late colleague Steve Schneider, with whom he co-edited two books on climate change policy. He taught Environmental and Natural Resources Policy and Law to Stanford undergraduates for 20 years. Dean Rosencranz also taught Climate, Energy and Global Environmental Law at Boalt Hall – UC Berkeley, Golden Gate Law School and Georgetown Law School before teaching these same subjects at JGU.

Welcoming the launch of JSES, Registrar, JGU, Dr. Y.S.R. Murthy said, “The establishment of this School fills a big void. JGU as a responsible educational institution would like to be at the forefront of knowledge creation with a view to find concrete solutions to the climate crisis. JSES in coordination with existing eight Schools of JGU dealing with law, business, international affairs, public policy, liberal arts, journalism, architecture, banking & finance, will further inter-disciplinary learning.”

JSES will be producer of knowledge and shaper of careers in environment and sustainability. The School aims to:

• Meet the environmental needs of the 21st century.
• Constitute a diverse faculty, students and partnerships.
• Offer a transdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning (effectively address environmental issues by integrating perspectives from the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the arts and humanities).
• Apply scientific methods to collect environmental data and evaluate environmental quality.
• Explore policy, regulation, law and governance of environmental issues.
• Invest in building environmental scholarship and environmental leadership.
• Contribute to global and local sustainability challenges.

Considering JGU’s significant progress since 2009 and keeping in view of our recognition as an “Institution of Eminence” and the Strategic Vision 2029, we aim to introduce new programmes aligned to the core academic vision and aspirations of JGU and the launch of JSES is a step in achieving and ensuring academic leadership.

About O.P. Jindal Global University

The Government of India has recognised JGU as an “Institution of Eminence” (IoE). JGU is the only non-STEM and non-Medicine University which has been recognised as an IoE. Founded in 2009, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) is a non-profit global and research oriented university established by the Government of Haryana and recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC). JGU maintains a 1:9 faculty-student ratio and appoints faculty members from India and different parts of the world with outstanding academic qualifications and experience. With over 5000 students and 550 faculty, studying and living on a fully residential campus, JGU’s eight schools are: law, business, international affairs, public policy, liberal arts & humanities, journalism, art & architecture and banking & finance. This year, JGU became the youngest Indian university in India and the rest of the world to break into the QS World University Rankings 2020. JGU is the only Indian private university in the top 150 ‘young‘ universities in the world (under 50 years of age) in the QS Young University Rankings 2020. JGU is an initiative of the Jindal Steel & Power Foundation.