By TCN News,
Guwahati: University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), the first state private university on Science and Technology in the entire northeast region, has signed an MoU with Aaranyak, a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation working on the conservation of biodiversity in North East India at the conference hall of USTM.
The MoU was signed by Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, CEO & Secretary General of Aaranyak on behalf of Aaranyak and by P G Rao, Vice Chancellor, USTM on behalf of USTM in the presence of Mahbubul Hoque, honourable Chancellor, USTM and Chairman, ERDF and other high officials of both the organizations.
This joining of hands will provide all facilities to the scientific and technical staff, project assistants of Aaranyak to enroll for PhD programmes at USTM. Although Aaranyak has been carrying out lots of activities in the areas of conservation of wildlife & biodiversity, their research works were not properly streamlined.
Now, USTM will provide them the right platform to carry out their research works in a more systematic manner.
On the other hand, Aaranyak shall also provide necessary facilities to a limited number of MSc students of USTM for short duration summer or winter training courses. Interested Scientists from Aaranyak shall also be invited as guest lecturers to teach certain portions in the School of Biological Sciences of USTM.
Aaranyak and USTM will also encourage and provide facilities to the scientists and faculty members to explore and prepare joint research proposals on some thrust areas for funding by government agencies.
USTM is in full agreement with Aaranyak’s vision of fostering conservation of biodiversity in NE India through research, environmental education, capacity building and advocacy for legal and policy reform to usher a new era of ecological security. USTM in its own way has been fostering conservation of biodiversity through various research projects and experimentations inside its Techno City Campus.
The terms of the memorandum of understanding will further help to establish a close linkage and functional coordination between
Aaranyak and USTM. Both the organizations have agreed to support each other towards the advancement of knowledge of their scientists, employees, faculty, scholars and students. Facilities of both organizations will be open for research and exploration to scientists, faculty and students of either.
Moreover both USTM and Aaranyak would offer project management courses, training programmes and short duration refresher courses jointly on topics of interest to Government/ Industry/ Academia. The salient points on which both the organizations have agreed to collaborate are organizing seminars, workshops, symposia, conventions, conferences, etc. to disseminate and update knowledge of research work that is carried out in NE Region.