Guawhati, February 9: In order to create a framework for collaboration, Principals from ten government-aided colleges of Assam have signed separate Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Science & Technology Meghalaya (USTM) yesterday.
The ten colleges are: Pragjyotish College, Guwahati; Doomdooma College; Sibsagar Commerce College; B.R.M. Govt. Model College, Doomdooma; Dhing College, Nagaon; Habraghat Mahavidyalaya, Goalpara; S.B.M.S. College, Sualkuchi; Haji Anfar Ali College, Doboka; Khagarijan College, Nagaon and Dhubri Girls’ College, Dhubri. The MoUs have been signed by Prof GD Sharma, Vice Chancellor USTM and the Principals of the respective colleges in the presence of USTM officials as well as the IQAC and NSS Coordinators of the respective Colleges.
Addressing the college principals, Prof GD Sharma, VC, USTM termed the event of signing MOUs with colleges as a historic moment and said, “Now time has come that private and government colleges and universities work together to proceed for quality in higher education. Quality must be in dynamic forms, we cannot have stagnation in education. What society needs, we must provide.” He said that education in terms of application is a new process of learning which is adding to knowledge. Through the MoUs the colleges can have many facilities available in the university, he added.
Earlier, welcoming the participants in the MOU signing ceremony, Dr Balendra Kumar Das, Director Administration USTM said, “Education must be humanitarian. Goal must be to uplift the society, the poor, downtrodden and the lower middle class people. Education must be collaborative education.”
The MoUs will facilitate joint collaborative research works between students, faculty and staff of the institutions. USTM will offer freeship / scholarship for poor meritorious students for higher education on recommendation from the respective college authorities.
The objectives of the MoUs include, establishing close linkage and functional coordination between USTM and the colleges through collaborative efforts in different student activities including academic, sports as well as cultural activities, to jointly organize Seminars, Workshops, Conferences, Symposiums & Competitions, celebrate important occasions and appreciate good works by offering felicitation to the performers from time to time.
The institutions will jointly undertake research & project works in emerging areas with local relevance by the students/ scholars and faculty members of the University. The different colleges agreed to facilitate the students of USTM for Internship programmes/ project works/exposure trips/placement. The signatory institutions have also agreed to organize extension and outreach activities like socio economic & welfare initiatives for neighboring & rural communities.