Nature Publishing has announced the launch of Nature Education, a new venture to develop innovative educational resources and tools for science students and their professors
Building upon NPG's strong reputation with educators and their students as a source of timely, relevant and high quality information - some of which is already used to supplement traditional teaching resources - Nature Education will take a non-traditional approach to the rapidly-evolving college education market, focusing primarily on creating leading edge, digitally-based, learning solutions in biology, chemistry and physics.
Vikram Savkar has been appointed publishing director, Nature Education and will be based in NPG's Cambridge, Massachusetts office.
Vikram earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard University, where he studied physics and classics, and served as the assistant to the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra before moving to Pearson, where he held a number of different positions during the past six years.
Most recently, as director of new ventures, he was responsible for conceiving and implementing Pearson's strategy related to content, including content customisation, digital content management and institutional relationships.
"We are excited about the launch of Nature Education and delighted to welcome Vikram to our team," said Annette Thomas, managing director of NPG and executive director of Macmillan Publishers .
"NPG is committed to creating cutting-edge educational resources and we see enormous potential in combining Vikram's imaginative business development skills with NPG's global reach and dynamic digital publishing capability".
"Now is the right time to redefine undergraduate classroom education worldwide," said Vikram Savkar.
"Instructors and students are thirsty for learning environments that move beyond traditional textbooks and even course management systems to provide a highly interactive and personalised experience that simultaneously builds understanding, inspires career and research aspirations, and connects the student to a worldwide community of likeminded thinkers.
"With its excellent content, brand, global reach, and community of practicing scientists, NPG and Macmillan are superbly positioned to catalyse and capitalise on a radical shift in education."
