Kurukshetra, July 8: Haryana has taken a step towards closer collaboration between higher education institutions with the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies , Kurukshetra University and Shri Vishwakarma Skill University . The partnerships bring together three of Haryana's leading universities under a common framework for research, innovation and knowledge sharing, marking the state's first collaboration of its kind to bring together three prominent public and private universities.
The partnerships will enable the institutions to undertake joint research, faculty development programmes, conferences, workshops, knowledge exchange and the shared use of laboratories and academic resources. They also provide for joint supervision of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral research, curriculum enrichment, academic benchmarking, scholarly publications, technology development and participation in national and international research funding opportunities. They will further encourage multidisciplinary learning, credit mobility and academic initiatives aligned with the National Education Policy 2020.
Prof. (Dr.) Sanjay Srivastava, Vice Chancellor, MRIIRS, said,
"Universities are at their best when they learn from one another. Bringing together different academic strengths will encourage interdisciplinary learning, strengthen research and create wider academic opportunities for students and faculty while preparing students for a world where complex challenges call for collaborative solutions."
To take the collaborations forward, the institutions will constitute a Joint Coordination Committee to identify collaborative activities, review progress and take forward initiatives through mutually agreed action plans. Under the collaboration with SVSU, both institutions will also explore academic mobility through the Academic Bank of Credits framework and the proposed MA Public Policy programme.
Prof. (Dr.) Meenakshi S. Khurana, Executive Director and Dean, International Affairs and Collaborations, MRIIRS, said,
"Each institution brings distinct strengths to this collaboration. Bringing together complementary expertise in academics, skill-based education and industry engagement will create wider opportunities for collaborative teaching, research and student development while strengthening long-term academic engagement across the participating universities."
Dr. Monika Goel, Executive Director and Dean, Academics, MRIIRS, said,
"These partnerships will enrich teaching and research through joint curriculum development, research supervision, scholarly publications and faculty development initiatives, strengthening the academic environment and enriching students' learning experiences.”
The MoUs were signed during a lecture series and MoU exchange ceremony at Kurukshetra University. The programme brought together academic leaders from the participating universities for invited lectures, discussions and the exchange of MoUs, highlighting the growing importance of collaboration in higher education. During the programme, Prof. Dr. Sanjay Srivastava delivered a lecture on "Timeless Wisdom from Gita & Art of Leadership." Drawing from the Bhagavad Gita and its relevance to Kurukshetra, he spoke about nine attributes of effective leadership and explained how a leader's character shapes institutions, inspires responsible leadership and helps build a better society, reflecting the enduring relevance of Indian knowledge traditions.