Anant National University and the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education are set to organize ICERM 2025, a trying event that aims to cultivate India-focused indigenous research projects.
Anant National University, India's premier design university, has recently been recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Government of Gujarat. This recognition comes alongside several significant achievements, including a prestigious '5-Star Rating' in the category of Architecture and a '4-Star Rating' in the University category in the Gujarat State Institutional Rating Framework (GSIRF) 2023-24.
One of the university's most notable initiatives is the Indigenous Consciousness Methodology Education Research Project (ICER), a collaborative effort with the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE). ICER, launching in the 2025-2026 academic year, aims to inform the design and development of education policy by ensuring that Indigenous perspectives remain central.
The project's roots can be traced back to a convening held in Ahmedabad in July 2025, which brought together scholars, education policy experts, and practitioners to discuss Indigenous Consciousness research methodologies. This event marked the foundation for ICER as an India-based initiative.
ICER's objectives focus on advancing Indigenous Consciousness Methodologies within education research. By honouring local Indigenous knowledge systems, emphasizing community-engaged practices, and fostering sustainable and equitable educational frameworks, ICER seeks to influence education policy development in India, centering Indigenous perspectives in shaping culturally responsive learning models. This aligns closely with the objectives of India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promotes inclusive, locally grounded education that preserves and promotes Indigenous knowledge systems.
The collaboration between Anant National University and Penn GSE also supports innovations that extend beyond India, facilitating international exchange and cooperative research to expand the reach and impact of Indigenous education initiatives. Dr Sanjeev Vidyarthi, Provost of Anant National University, opened the convening, stating that Anant values indigenous knowledge as part of its design pedagogy.
Dr Leland S McGee, Adjunct Assistant Professor at Penn GSE and Senior Associate Director of the GSE Office of Student Success, University of Pennsylvania, emphasized the importance of indigenous knowledge systems in education. Dr Diti Vyas, Associate Professor at the School of Creative Practices and Entrepreneurship (SCoPE), Anant National University, stated that the convening aimed to interrogate, expose, and undo the dangers and desires of colonization in education through indigenous consciousness.
Anant National University's multidisciplinary undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes in design, architecture, climate action, and visual arts integrate knowledge from various disciplines and traditional practices with cutting-edge technology. Penn GSE actively partners with schools, universities, and communities around the world to improve educational access and equity.
Through the Indigenous Consciousness Education Research Methodology Convening, Anant has taken another major step towards equitably inclusive education, ensuring that Indigenous knowledge systems receive due recognition and representation in research and policy discourse. The ongoing partnership between Anant National University and Penn GSE fosters cooperative research, facilitates international exchanges, enhances the quality of learning, extends the reach of both institutions, and collaborates on the exchange of academic materials and initiatives that advance matters of mutual academic interests.
The University of Pennsylvania, through Penn Global, administers a competitive global engagement grant programme to support research, teaching, service, and engagement activities. This programme underscores the university's commitment to fostering collaborations that drive global education innovation, as demonstrated by the Anant-Penn GSE partnership.
In summary, ICER is a cutting-edge project intended to embed Indigenous knowledge and research methodologies into education policy and practice in India, with ambitions for broader global influence on Indigenous education systems and sustainability of local knowledge. The project's success could pave the way for more equitable and inclusive education systems that respect and celebrate Indigenous knowledge systems.
- Anant National University, having received Centre of Excellence status by the Government of Gujarat, is implementing the Indigenous Consciousness Methodology Education Research Project (ICER) in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (Penn GSE), which launches in the 2025-2026 academic year.
- ICER aims to inform the design and development of education policy by ensuring Indigenous perspectives remain central, aligning with the objectives of India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
- The objectives of ICER involve advancing Indigenous Consciousness Methodologies within education research, prioritizing local Indigenous knowledge systems, community-engaged practices, and sustainable and equitable educational frameworks.
- The collaboration between Anant National University and Penn GSE extends beyond India, facilitating international exchange, cooperative research, and the expansion of Indigenous education initiatives' reach and impact.
- The University of Pennsylvania, through Penn Global, administers a competitive global engagement grant programme to support research, teaching, service, and engagement activities, demonstrating the university's commitment to fostering collaborations that drive global education innovation, as shown by the Anant-Penn GSE partnership.
- The success of projects like ICER could lead to the establishment of more equitable and inclusive education systems that respect and celebrate Indigenous knowledge systems, contributing significantly to lifelong learning and policy-and-legislation aimed at education-and-self-development, culture, general-news, technology, events, and online-education.
