National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK (NISAU), the pan-national student and alumni representative body for Indians in the United Kingdom has emerged as the biggest winner at the PIEoneer Awards 2022, held every year in London, United Kingdom. The PIEoneer Awards are the only global awards that celebrate innovation and achievement across the whole international education industry.
The NISAU was the only organisation to be shortlisted as a finalist in three different categories, winning two of the three and emerging as a runner-up in the third. With a distinguished judging panel representing geographical and professional diversity, The PIEoneer Awards recognise individuals and organisations who are pushing professional standards, evolving their engagement or redefining the international student experience.
In a first, the NISAU has made history by being the only Indian students’ association to have won across multiple categories at these prestigious awards:
Student Support Award: Winner - This year the NISAU was shortlisted alongside institutions such as the University of Portsmouth and corporates such as Duolingo. NISAU was recognised in particular for its work supporting students in an exceptionally tumultuous year that included a global pandemic where it supported students and others affected in the UK and India, and a global war where it supported Indian students caught in Ukraine.
Outstanding Contribution to the Industry: Winner - NISAU’s Founder and Chairperson Sanam Arora won this award for her work setting up the NISAU, “leading advocacy for Indian students worldwide. From supporting those caught in the Russian invasion in Ukraine, to those requiring assistance in the UK throughout the pandemic, Sanam has proved to be a committed, compassionate force for good in international education.”
Association of the Year: Highly Commended Finalist - NISAU was shortlisted alongside various longstanding, institutional global sector representative organisations, such as the Universities UK International, which represents 140 universities in the UK: Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan), Canada which represents Canadian public colleges and institutions and English Australia, which represents 120 Australian colleges. NISAU emerged as the first runner-up in this category.
Accepting both awards on behalf of the NISAU, its founder & chairperson Sanam Arora said, “I dedicate this award to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the second, who embodied public service and duty in all that she did; and to Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Ambedkar, Pandit Nehru; the founders of my beloved India; and the hundreds of thousands of Indian students who have studied in the UK over the years. Our two countries are tied by much but it is this educational partnership that defines the essence of our connection and it has been the honour of my life to have been able to develop the NISAU – an organisation that enables young people to support each other and become each other’s home away from home. We are all volunteers, and I thank the hundreds of volunteers who in the decade of our existence have given back so much to our communities. But there are miles to go before we sleep – I am extremely excited about our upcoming initiative with the British Council to mark India at 75, where we will be recognizing and celebrating the work of 75 trailblazing Indian alumni from the UK who have demonstrated outstanding contribution in their fields and delivered social impact.”
Congratulating the NISAU, Virendra Sharma, Member of UK Parliament and Chair of the Indo-British All Party Parliamentary Group said “I am delighted for NISAU on their victory in these two awards and their runner-up status for a third. In a field of giants NISAU has been feted, despite being a smaller, less well-funded group than their competitors, because their hard work and commitment to delivering exceptional support, in both traditional and innovative ways is extraordinary. I have served as patron of NISAU now for many years, because of this vital role they play, and it is right that their important work is recognised.”
NISAU’s founding member and Head of Research and Thought Leadership, Vignesh Karthik remarked, “To score in all three categories we were shortlisted in is such an encouragement to continue doing what we do. I am grateful to our team that has been relentless and passionate and we have so much more in store to further strengthen the UK-India educational relationship.”
