THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The University of Kerala will forge institutional ties with universities in the Dominican Republic to promote academic collaboration. This includes student-faculty exchange, twinning programmes, and promotion of joint research projects with faculty members in Kerala University (KU) and universities in the Caribbean nation.
An agreement to this effect was reached between Kerala University Vice-Chancellor V P Mahadevan Pillai, and David Puig, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic. The major themes of research will include trade, agriculture, culture, political systems, translational studies and tropical medicine.
“The common geography between Kerala and the Dominican Republic and the sizeable Indian diaspora there offer promising possibilities for the academic communities of both Kerala and Dominican Republic to engage in fruitful dialogue and research,” said Puig.
Apart from the Ambassador and the Vice-Chancellor, the meeting was attended by Third Secretary Francisco Soliman, Pro-Vice-Chancellor P P Ajay Kumar, Registrar K S Anil Kumar, Director, Centre for Latin American Studies Gireeshkumar and Controller of Examination N Gopakumar.
The joint collaboration in the academic sphere seeks to delve deeper into areas of trade in sectors such as cotton textiles and readymade garments, drugs and pharmaceuticals, furniture, transport equipment, metals, chemicals, plastic and linoleum products, tea, processed foods and marine products. Other important areas include information technology, tourism, mining and renewable energy, film and culture an Republic seek to make advances through collaborations.