Minister: Pacts with London varsities to raise job avenues

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 17

Technical Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma on Wednesday said several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) had been signed to increase employment opportunities and joint research would be carried out with London universities.

Claiming that the state would benefit from the recent visit of the Technical Education Department to the UK, Sharma said the 20-member delegation held meetings with London universities.

He said it had been agreed to set up an international training centre with the assistance of King’s College of London to train civil employees and technical field teachers.

He said an MoU had been signed with University of Northampton and Nottingham Trent University for establishing a progressive ecosystem to identify futuristic area for collaboration.

He said an MoU with the NTPC Group of Colleges was under process. He said these groups had agreed to upgrade vocational skill education and teacher training.

Sharma said an MoU with University of London for parallel degree was under process. He said the University of London had agreed to run parallel degree programmes through recognised training centres in virtual learning environment. An MoU with Coventry University was under process, he added.

He said major issues discussed included curriculum development, qualification framework, faculty exchange and visits, students’ exchange, skilling, technical education, joint academic research, commercialisation of research, funding opportunities, innovation and incubation centres and entrepreneurship learning and placement.

He said a delegation of the Scottish Chamber of Commerce was visiting India. He said the delegation would visit the Directorate of Haryana Technical Education in Panchkula on July 22.