The Association of British Scholars (ABS) in India is a national forum to facilitate the networking of Indians who have studied or trained in the UK. ABS India aims to strengthen the Indo-UK relationship by harnessing the resources, expertise and potential of every ABS chapter through networking, sharing information and hosting social, cultural and intellectual activities. ABS is today one of the India's largest alumni networks.
ABS chapters in India: http://www.britishcouncil.org/india-abs-all-india.htm
About ABS, Pune
Mission of the Association of British Scholars (ABS):
- UK connection: All ABS members have studied/ trained in the UK and have had the benefit of experiencing UK in close quarters. ABS wishes to provide a forum and create mechanisms for its members to keep their connectivity with UK alive and healthy, perhaps even enrich it. Yet another goal of ABS is to provide a forum by which members can share the opportunities and experiences (they have had the benefit of) with others in India.
- Scholarly/ cultural interests: ABS wishes to provide a forum for its members to pursue and build upon their scholarly/cultural interests developed/enriched during their stay in the UK along with other fellow ABS members.
- Networks: ABS is a network of professionals in varied disciplines with several outstanding achievers and influential persons in its fold. ABS aims to build and strengthen this network and help its members leverage this network for various purposes including initiatives of significant national and global impact.
Themes of activities planned:
| Mission of ABS | Activities planned |
| ABS wishes to provide a forum and create mechanisms for its members to keep their connectivity with UK alive and healthy, perhaps even enrich it. | (1) Talks/ shows featuring visitors from UK, themes reminiscent of UK. (2) Activities building lasting connections of substantial impact between individuals and organizations in UK and India. |
| Yet another goal of ABS is to provide a forum by which members can share the opportunities and experiences (they have had the benefit of) with others in India. | (3) Events focused on information/ learning/ exposure/ excitement aimed at the wider public/children/ college students etc |
| ABS wishes to provide a forum for its members to pursue and build upon their scholarly/cultural interests developed/enriched during their stay in the UK along with other fellow ABS members. | (4) Events focused on scholarly themes (5) Events focused on cultural and related themes |
| ABS aims to build and strengthen this network and help its members leverage this network for various purposes including initiatives of significant national and global impact. | (6) Events showcasing and celebrating outstanding pursuits of ABS members (7) Events aimed at getting together UK alumni around networking events (8) Initiatives leveraging ABS members towards building momentum around contemporary concerns/issues etc of local, national and global importance. |
History
First founded in 1985 in Chennai, The Association of British Scholars (ABS) came into existence by the voluntary amalgamation of a few UK returned scholars to enhance British culture, lifestyle and education with a point of view of helping anyone wanting to go to the UK by sharing their knowledge, expertise and experience. An independent non-profit organization ABS was encouraged by the British Council and the British High Commission in aspects of finance, space, logistics and any other support that they could offer to help in some way of overall development of society. This hand-holding aided in the ABS expansion, today there being 22 chapters throughout India their main goal always maintained at enhancing Indo-UK relations. The Pune chapter which began over 20 years has to its credit an impressive list of alumni which became a single forum for all UK related information.
