A Mohali-based Plaksha University, a tech university, and the US-based Cornell University, an Ivy League and a Land Grant institution, have a signed an MoA to facilitate international academic exchange, develop academic and scientific relationships and support collaborative research activities.
This partnership aims to create high-impact opportunities by bringing together faculty, students, and alumni of both universities as well as their local communities.
Plaksha University also plans to make e-Cornell courses available for its students.
The two universities are poised to launch a two-way student exchange programme, wherein Cornell students can visit Plaksha and Plaksha students at Cornell. Plans are afoot for Cornell faculty to visit the Plaksha campus for workshops to enable research collaborations in clean energy and digital agriculture.
Both universities shall undertake collaborative teaching to foster a truly global classroom environment, Plaskha University said in a statement.
The MoA was announced by Prof Rudra Pratap, the Founding Vice-Chancellor of Plaksha University, and Prof Wendy Wolford, Vice Provost for International Affairs, and Robert A and Ruth E Polson Professor, Department of Global Development, Cornell University.
“This collaboration will allow our faculty and students to access top-of-the-line research facilities at both institutions, co-create innovative programmes in education and research, and work together to address the complex challenges of our society,” Pratap said.
The partnership will also enable the institutions to mutually explore visits by and exchange faculty members, students, and research scholars; joint research, exchange of information, development projects, and publications; internship opportunities for students at laboratories of the respective institutions and research projects related to global challenges.
According to Wendy Wolford, Vice Provost for International Affairs; Robert A and Ruth E Polson Professor, Department of Global Development, Cornell University, collaborations are being explored at multiple levels.
Plaksha already has partnerships with UC Berkeley, Purude, UC Sandiego, IIT Kanpur and IISc Bangalore.