Donna V Jones, GIIS Advisory Board Member (Academic), a Professor of English at UC Berkeley, has also taught at Stanford and Princeton Universities. She completed her doctoral studies at UC Berkeley in Comparative Literature, which requires proficiency in four languages. Recognised by the Ford Foundation and Mellon Foundation, she has recently published a book on the philosophies of life expressed in European and African literature. She is at work on two other books, one on the profound influence of the catastrophe of the Great War on global culture, and the second on the philosophy of life as expressed in Jainism and early twentieth European thought. Prof Jones works closely with the Global School in figuring out reading assignments that puts the world's children's literature into dialogue and thus broadens the horizons of our students. The recommended literature will best help our students understand how other young people in different places and times have resolved issues between the cultures that they inherit and the ones into which they are cast.

Dr Rakesh Bhandari, GIIS Advisory Board Member (Academic), lectures in the Interdisciplinary Social Sciences program at UC Berkeley where he teaches the survey course in social theory required of majors; he also teaches courses in the methodology of the social sciences.  He has done graduate work at Stanford University in philosophy, Harvard University in political science, Princeton University in the history of science and UC Berkeley in global ethnic studies. Affiliated with the Critical Theory program at UC Berkeley, he is completing his first book manuscript on the social reception of Darwin's revolutionary ideas in the field of political economy. He has published widely in the fields of political economy and global history.


A champion debater, Dr Bhandari advises our teachers in finding the best ways for students to learn how to carry out rational discussion across ethnic lines and about controversial topics. With his help, teachers determine topics and writing assignments that will motivate students to learn how to justify what they have come to believe through critical discussion and appreciate how important it is to see the limits of one's own viewpoint. Dr Bhandari’s focus is on teaching children critical thinking skills and effective oral and written communication skills.

Laurie Ince, GIIS Advisory Board Member (Academic)

Laurie has worked as Regional Manager with the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) from 2003 for the IB Diploma Programme in Asia Pacific. During this time, the International Baccalaureate experienced unprecedented growth, not only in the number of authorised schools but also in the general acceptability at the tertiary level in Asian, and the influence it brought to bear on educational systems throughout the region.

G Balasubramanian, GIIS Advisory Board Member (Academic),
Mr. Balasubramanian is Chief Mentor (Academics) for Global Indian International Schools in Asia. He is renowned as the former Director (Academic) of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). He joined the Central Board of Secondary Education as a Joint Secretary in 1984 and has worked in several capacities in Academics, Examination, Confidential and Administration branches of CBSE. Elevated to the Post of Director (Academic) in 1997, he held the additional charge of the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Board. He retired from the services of the Board on 28th Feb, 2006.

Prof. Mukul Asher, GIIS Advisory Board Member (Academic)
Prof Mukul Asher is presently with the Lee Kuan Yew Institute of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. He is also associated with the IISM Academic Advisory Board as a Member.

Dr Asher has taught and carried out research in Australia, Malaysia, Sweden, India and USA. He has held visiting positions at several institutions, including with the Fiscal Affairs Department of the International Monetary Fund, and Harvard Institute for International Development. He specialises in public finances of developing countries, social security arrangements in Asia and economic co-operation among nations.

Prof. Marmar Mukhopadhyay , GIIS Advisory Board Member (Academic)

Prof. Mukhopadhyay was Joint Director, and Director(i/c) of National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), Chairman of National Open School; Vice President of International Council of Distance Education (ICDE, Oslo); Member of the Steering Committee of International Multi-channel Action Group on Education (Washington DC), Executive Member of Standing Conference of Presidents of Distance Education (Oslo).

Dr. A H Kalro, GIIS Advisory Board Member (Academic), Ph.D. (Minnesota) is a member of the second Administrative Reforms Commission, Government of India (August 2005 to present), and Director, Ahmedabad Education Society Post Graduate Institute of Business Management, Ahmedabad (March 2004 to present). He was Director, Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode from November 1998 to February 2004. Prof. Kalro obtained his B.Tech.(Hons.) degree in Electrical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur in 1963, and his MS and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA in 1967 and 1969 respectively. He was on the faculty of the University of Minnesota and joined Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in August 1970.