Vijay Aggarwal is an entrepreneur and education visionary, who has been instrumental in developing an international collaboration with Staffordshire University in a commitment to deliver quality Higher Education in India.
He is a staunch advocate of promoting local industry and started textile manufacturing company, Reed and Pick Impex in-keeping with his vision where he was awarded "Exporter of the Year" by the Handloom Export Promotion Council for his achievements in manufacturing and export.
As a member of the Sanatan Dharam Education Society, a non-profit organisation which has been at the forefront of education in the state of Haryana, Vijay was elected Vice-Chairman of S.D. Vidya Mandir in 1992, which achieved remarkable growth.
He was elected chairman of the ASIA Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT SD) in 2006 and re-elected in 2009 in light of his contribution to the field of education. During his leadership, APIIT SD has grown from strength-to-strength with major investments in both infrastructure and facilities to support the delivery of high-quality Higher Education to increasing student numbers.
Today, APIIT is an established leader in the Asia Pacific region for providing Engineering and Management education and continues to receive accreditation from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) one of the few remaining private institutions to hold this recognition.
Vijay has also been instrumental in developing further collaborations with Staffordshire University with the number of students growing from less than 100 to 550. And in 2011, with the approval of AICTE and the University, APIIT SD has introduced further undergraduate Engineering courses and postgraduate courses in Computing and Business.
Alongside his success in business and education, Vijay has held a long association with the Lions Club charity, joining in 1978, where his exemplary work for the local community was rewarded with a term as Lions Club President.
The award of Honorary Doctor of Staffordshire University is bestowed upon Vijay in recognition of his achievements as both a successful entrepreneur and a visionary educationalist. It also recognises the instrumental role he has played in developing the growing partnership with Staffordshire University and delivering high-quality Higher Education courses.