Dharamshala:Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP), Dharamshala has recently entered into an agreement and signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), USA.
The CUHP has always accorded priority to academic and research collaboration with institutes of repute across the nation and the globe and MoU is a step in this direction.
Pooja Awasthi PRO CUHP told UNI on Sunday that the MoU was signed by Vice Chancellor of Central University of Himachal Pradesh on January 13, 2023 at Bangalore on behalf of CUHP. The event of signing MoU witnessed the gracious presence of American delegation which consisted of Dr. Lara Luetkehans, Provost and Vice President for International Education, IUP; Dr. Michele Petrucci, Associate Vice President, International Education and Global Engagement, IUP; Dr. Todd Shawver, Dean, College of Business, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Kenneth Hawkinson, President, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Daniel A. Wubah, President, Millersville University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Peter Garland, Executive Vice Chancellor Emeritus, PASSHE and Dr. Anita Meehan, Director for Penn HUB.
The key person instrumental in signing this MoU and getting both the universities tied to an academic and research agreement was Ms. Kanika Chaudhary, Special Envoy to India and UAE and Ambassador, Philadelphia State, USA.
Vice Chancellor of Central University of Himachal Pradesh said that the MoU focuses mainly on three areas of academic and research collaboration between two universities apart from other academic aspects. He said that the two universities will make efforts to work on joint and collaborative research projects with emphasis on faculty sharing and student exchange aspects. The universities will identify certain vital and significant themes for undertaking joint and collaborative research projects especially in the areas of sciences, tourism, public policy, teacher education, management, journalism and media. V C further said that both the universities will jointly work towards sharing of course credits earned by the students of respective university.
The universities will make efforts to identify and develop such courses at UG and PG level in which credit sharing can be made possible. This will provide more exposure to the students of both the universities to get benefits from faculties of different expertise and a curriculum of high quality and relevance. In addition, the two universities will also work rigorously towards developing and offering dual / twin and joint degree programmes in different disciplines which has recently been emphasized by UGC. Such twin/joint degree programmes will be a milestone for both the universities and not only faculty members but mainly the students will receive an international exposure about their prospective profession. Such an international exposure to the students, sharing of faculty expertise, credit sharing and undertaking joint research projects on significant themes will contribute to achieve excellence and quality in higher education which is main mandate of National Education Policy-2020, said the Vice Chancellor.
He also told that there has been a detailed discussion held with American Delegation on different dimensions of academic and research collaboration and further said that this MoU will be operationalized soon for which both the universities will start on working out modalities.
The American Delegation was very delighted and hopeful of a strong connection and sharing between two universities. Vice Chancellor CUHP also apprised that Dr. Kenneth Hawkinson, President, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Daniel A. Wubah, President, Millersville University of Pennsylvania have also expressed their strong willingness for academic and research collaboration and sign MoU with CUHP.
The presidents of these universities have also invited the Vice Chancellor to visit their universities. Vice Chancellor expressed his happiness on the matter and told that the CUHP will soon sign MoU with these two US universities for academic and research collaboration. Vice Chancellor CUHP also congratulated entire university fraternity, the faculty members, staff and students and termed this moment as ‘historic’ for CUHP.
