Sakal Media Group-one of AP Globale’s portfolio companies-began the 19th edition of Sakal Educon with an immersive learning and partnership building journey to the United Kingdom, continuing the platform’s core mission: helping Indian higher-education leaders engage with global education systems and bring internationally benchmarked thinking back home. The UK edition took place from 2-8 November 2025.
A mentor-led start: future-ready education models
This year’s edition was guided by Professor Yogesh Bhalerao, who joined as the program’s mentor and set the tone for what Educon is designed to unlock: openness, adaptability, and future-ready education models.
“UK education is very open, flexible, accommodative; therefore futuristic. It is ever changing and dynamic-more industry oriented and research informed. My hope is that our esteemed delegation will learn to be more open in thoughts and embrace out of the box thinking through this experience.”
– Professor Yogesh Bhalerao
From curriculum to collaboration: a hands-on institutional deep dive
The UK edition (2-8 November 2025) began in London with a visit to Brunel University London, a university known for integrating practical industry exposure into academics through its widely recognized “sandwich degree” model-embedding a year-long paid work placement within many undergraduate programs. Delegates engaged with multiple faculty teams on curriculum design, research focus areas, and institutional frameworks, alongside a campus walkthrough that brought to life how the university bridges classroom learning with applied outcomes.
As part of Sakal Educon’s wider commitment to knowledge dissemination, podcast interviews were also filmed with select Brunel leaders and faculty members-including department heads and senior academic voices-and shared through The Bridge Chronicle’s digital channels.
The delegation then moved to City, St George’s, University of London, where sessions highlighted interdisciplinary innovation across fields such as engineering, optometry, and cybersecurity-reflecting how universities are increasingly designing programs around real-world needs, emerging technologies, and cross-domain collaboration. Delegates also visited research labs and interacted with faculty teams to understand how institutions structure applied learning and future-facing course development.
Cambridge: leadership, reflection, and the future of engineering
A key milestone of the itinerary was Cambridge, where delegates visited Jesus College and participated in a leadership and change-development session led by Dr Ivan Mitchell, designed as an interactive learning experience rather than a lecture-mirroring Educon’s philosophy of practical, implementable insight.
The Cambridge experience also included an interaction with Professor N. Swaminathan, a globally recognized scientist and professor of mechanical engineering, offering the delegation a perspective on emerging domains shaping research and education agendas internationally.
Delegate voices: what stood out-and what comes next
Across the first phase of the UK program, participants highlighted the depth of exposure-from healthcare to engineering, from research partnerships to pedagogy-and the value of seeing how institutions operationalize excellence.
“Educon 2025 began on an inspiring note with visits to Brunel University, St. George’s University, and the University of Cambridge… gaining valuable insights into institutional building and academic excellence.”
– Dr Dhanisha Pangvhane
“City, St. George’s University offered valuable learnings in healthcare and AI driven curriculum development aligned with industry needs… The Cambridge visit was a highlight-combining a powerful leadership workshop with an engaging discussion…”
-Dr Asir Tamboli (DPU Pune)
“Brunel welcomed collaborations in research and faculty development, while City St George’s impressed with its programs in engineering and cybersecurity… an inspiring interaction…”
– Dr Neha Kamble (DPU Pune)
Why this matters for partners and institutions
Sakal Educon continues to evolve into more than an exposure visit: it is a platform for structured international collaboration-connecting Indian academic leadership with universities, research ecosystems, and institutional models abroad, while opening pathways for long-term partnerships in curriculum innovation, research collaboration, faculty development, and industry-aligned learning design.
For AP Globale, Sakal Educon reflects how portfolio companies can build high-trust ecosystems that create value across sectors-strengthening networks, accelerating capability-building, and enabling cross-border exchange that is both practical and scalable.
About AP Globale
AP Globale (APG) is a purpose-driven strategic group based in Pune, India, operating at the intersection of media, education, skilling, investments, policy advisory, community transformation, and events. With a vision to align economic growth with societal well-being, APG builds platforms that deliver long-term value through ecosystem partnerships and impact-led models. Its portfolio includes Sakal Media Group, one of India’s most trusted regional media organisations.
For more information, visit: APGlobale
Media enquiries: contact@apglobale.com
