>Gujarat institutes tie up with foreign varsities, companies for research

>Eleven educational institutes and universities based in Gujarat signed MoUs with foreign universities, companies and research institutes at the first pre-summit session of “Vibrant Gujarat 2011 — the International Roundtable of Academic Institutions” on Monday. Seventy six MoUs were inked at the signing ceremony presided by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and the state’s education principal secretary Hasmukh Adhia at the Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar.

“Research is the essence for future development. I assure you that Gujarat has a society that will offer an ambience of risk-taking and entrepreneurship so that the fruits of research is enjoyed by common man,” Modi told the delegates. The MoUs broadly deal with establishing centres of excellence and R&D centres, economic research, student and faculty exchange and research activities, technology commercialisation, teacher’s training, research in sustainability in energy and environment, placements, visiting faculty, PG education, establishing a chair professor, curriculum development and joint utilisation of infrastructure.

Among the foreign universities that signed MoUs were the universities of California, Pennstate, Western Ontario, UCLA, Oklahoma, Saskatchewan (Canada), Kansas, Manuela Bertran, Thames Valley, Maryland and Papperdine. Among the state universities, PDPU and Gujarat Technological University both signed 14 MoUs each.

Source: The Financial Express, January 11, 2011