AU signs MoU with IndUS Setu Global Foundation for collaboration

Prayagraj: Authorities of Allahabad University have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the IndUS Setu Global Foundation at Stanford University for mutual collaboration in various fields. The MoU was signed by the Vice-Chancellor Prof Sangita Srivastava on behalf of the university and Priya Tandon and Nandini Tandon on behalf of IndUS Setu Global Foundation.
The scope of the collaboration programs will be interdisciplinary, pedagogical and involving world-class academicians, industry executives, government leaders at local and national levels. The collaboration will take place in several key emerging areas of research including Information Technology, Environment conservation, Social Justice, Sustainable Development etc.
According to AU public relations officer (PRO), Jaya Kapoor, “One of the key areas which the collaboration involves is encouraging innovation and entrepreneurial involvement with Silicon Valley. The training with the Silicon Valley technology industry will help in skill development and open exposure to the highest levels of research and employment opportunities. The MoU will provide a bridge for international exchanges between US-India around technology education”.
Under the New Education Policy, there is a stress on training to work with Information Technology with special emphasis on AI. The MoU will help in giving a broad base to the capacity to work in this direction. Another very important area that the MoU has agreed to develop includes work on measures about environment conservation through encouraging global thought in the area. The MoU will also work on areas of healthcare.
Under the presently prevailing conditions of the pandemic, it becomes all the more crucial to give attention to strategies to handle the crisis. The proposal also hopes to achieve an understanding of how to go about the objective of sustainable development in the face of the challenges involved in achieving an optimal balance between environmental conservation and development needs. The MoU will create a space for engagement with global thought on the need for water conservation keeping in view the fact that the water crisis has gradually become one of the biggest challenges across the world, she added. Another key area that the MoU will cover is to increase awareness regarding social justice, humanitarianism and diversity.
The IndUS Setu Global Foundation was launched in 1994 at Stanford University. It was set up to develop dialogue, collaboration and understanding between India, the USA and their allies including Australia, Israel, Japan, UAE. the programmes to catalyze entrepreneurial economy in innovation, energy healthcare, women’s empowerment with special emphasis on strengthening the position of the underprivileged. It has recently held Setu webinars about global thought on cooperation to overcome Covid-19 pandemic challenges in collaboration with the consulate general of India under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat and Silicon Valley partnership series.
It has also hosted Chairman Tesla Board, co-hosted the meeting between the delegation of California’s Lt. Governor and Principal Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister of India, collaborated with President M Gorbachov Foundation for outreach programme on biotechnology and energy, spearheaded conferences to address unity in diversity initiated by former President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.