Natural Sciences strengthens its ties with a prestigious Indian university

From left, Dr Jugoo, Professor Beesham, Professor Coopoosamy, Professor Anirudh Pradhan, and Professor Gopikant Goswami, having a discussion in the dean’s office

Last week, MUT hosted two esteemed guests from the Republic of India. Professor Anirudh Pradhan, a Director of the Centre for Cosmology, Astrophysics and Space Science at the GLA University, and Gopikant Goswami, Visiting Professor at Netaji Subhash University of Technology, met the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Professor Roger Coopoosamy, the Head of the Department of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Vikash Jugoo, and Professor Aroonkumar Beesham, who is a Research Professor in the Faculty.

The visit comes after MUT signed a Memorandum of Understanding with GLA University. Professor Coopoosamy said the MOU was part of the faculty’s international outreach.

“In line with the internationalization of MUT, the faculty has developed partnerships with various institutions abroad,” Professor Coopoosamy said.

Professor Beesham said the MOU, which is already bearing results, was aimed at building a long-term relationship and developing healthy and stable arrangements between both universities. The MOU also aims at developing academic and research cooperation and to “promote understanding between MUT and GLA university in India”.

Professor Beesham said both universities wish to develop academic and industry relationships in the areas of research papers, meetings and international events, such as projects, guest lectures, workshops, seminars and conferences”.

Other planned activities include conducting joint seminars, workshops, webinars, and conferences. The signing of the MOU will also have an impact on the students. One of its components is a planned exchange of staff and students between both universities for research and teaching purposes, thereby providing exposure to staff, who get a chance to teach at the GLA University, which has a very high research profile in many disciplines, and by staff from GLA teaching at MUT.

Professor Beesham added that Professor Anirudh Pradhan was his long-term research partner, and they published many papers together. In addition, he said they have visited each other’s universities several times. Both Professors also collaborate with Professor Goswami.

Said Professor Beesham: “We felt that our cooperation was very useful and productive, and that an MOU should be set up between our two universities to foster research and teaching relationships between them.”

Professor Beesham is an expert in space research, an area of study that is part of Professor Pradhan’s directorate.