MoU signed to foster collaboration between both universities.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: As part of an ongoing effort by institutions in India to expand their higher education capabilities, the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) will partner up with Denver’s Metropolitan State University (MSU) for a faculty and student exchange program.
The announcement came on December 24, when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by MSU’s Akbarali Thobani, executive director of international studies, and KIIT’s P.P. Mathur, the university’s vice-chancellor. The two played a key role in discussions between the two institutions, and were instrumental in getting a deal put on the table.
A statement announcing the joint venture said the deal is aimed to foster collaboration between the two universities, specifically through curricula, research interests, and special projects. By allowing professors and students to enter into an exchange program between the two schools, it will hopefully allow for a free exchange of ideas and increase the quality of education at both places.
The deal may also involve the Kaling Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), which MSU’s eight-member delegation visited as well before signing off on the partnership.
The delegation visited the major schools and facilities associated with KIIT on December 20-21, led by MSU president Stephen M. Jordan. They met with KIIT and KISS founder Dr. A. Samanta, vice-chancellor Mathur, and university registrar Dr. Sasmita Samanta, among other faculty members.
KIIT has been expanding its horizons into international territories in recent months, and the deal inked with MSU is just the latest example of that. In July, the university signed agreements with six institutions in South Korea, as well as with two universities in Africa – one in Tanzania, and another in Kenya.
Metropolitan State University of Denver is a four-year public university with an undergraduate class size of just under 24,000, and a post-graduate class size of roughly 250. It currently has partnerships with schools in China, England, Ethiopia, and Jamaica.
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