Srinagar, July 02: The University of Kashmir (KU) Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IC-IMPACTS Centres of Excellence, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The MoU establishes a framework for a collaborative partnership aimed at enhancing academic and research opportunities and encouraging bilateral projects between Canada and India.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), IC-IMPACTS, Dr Nemkumar Banthia and Dean, Research, KU, Prof M Sultan Bhat signed the agreement during a ceremony held at the Vice Chancellor’s Secretariat here.
KU Vice Chancellor, Prof Nilofer Khan; KU Registrar, Prof Naseer Iqbal; Director, Directorate of Internal Quality Assurance (DIQA), KU, Prof Manzoor Ahmad Shah (Programme Coordinator), Special Secretary to KU VC, Dr Ashfaq A Zarri and India Coordintor, IC-IMPACTS Prabha Daga were present on the occasion.
Expressing her enthusiasm for the collaboration, Prof Nilofer Khan, said that the partnership will facilitate meaningful academic exchanges and innovative projects that align with KU’s vision of academic excellence and community development.
“This MoU will provide our students and faculty with international exposure and opportunities for cutting-edge research,” she said, believing public health and food security to be significant components of the project.
The project focusses on four major areas, infrastructure, water, food security and public health.
Prof Khan further said that the varsity would also rope-in its satellite campuses and affiliated colleges to contribute in these areas.
“We will take the research findings and technology and use them for engaging with the community at the grassroots level for social transformation,” she reiterated.
Emphasising the importance of the collaboration, CEO, IC-IMPACTS, Dr Nemkumar Banthia, said that all their technologies are patented and asserted that that the collaboration will lead to significant number of patents and prototypes.
“By setting up demonstration projects and putting our technologies in the community and engaging investing companies, we can change the whole scenario,” he said, adding that the aim is to give back to the community by engaging with the community itself.
He further said that the partnership with the varsity will drive community transformation and sustainability through joint research and academic activities.
Dean, Research, KU, Prof M Sultan Bhat, underscored the potential benefits of the partnership and its alignment with the varsity’s vision of encouraging academic collaboration.
“This MoU opens up numerous opportunities for our scholars to engage in cutting-edge research and gain international exposure,” he said.
Project Coordinator, Prof Manzoor A Shah, discussed the potential and possibilities of cooperation between the two institutions and the prospects of collaboration in various areas, including the exchange of students and faculty, as well as sponsoring demonstration projects.
“The university students and faculty members will have the opportunity to attend IC-IMPACTS events with partner Indian/Canadian educational institutions, companies and government agencies leveraging the strengths of both institutions to achieve meaningful outcomes,” he maintained.
IC-IMPACTS will fund all the activities including research, development of prototypes, workshops, demonstration projects, leadership training programmes, etc. during the three-year partnership.
