JORHAT, Feb 14 � Assam Agricultural University (AAU) today announced its academic collaboration with Cornell University of USA which is being launched from the current academic year.
Talking to media persons today, Dr Kamal Malla Bujarbaruah, Vice Chancellor of AAU, said that Dr W Ronnie Coffman, Director, International of Agriculture and Rural Development programme, Cornell University visited the AAU campus here yesterday and agreed to sign an MoU for the academic collaboration.
Dr Bujarbaruah also informed that as the first step of the faculty improvement programme, some faculty from AAU would be sent in the month of April and May this year to Cornell University to be trained there on the modern technologies in the agricultural sciences.
Both the universities are aiming to exchange students during their academic years to attain value addition and global level education in the respective sectors.
AAU is also mulling introduction of the dual degree system, which, according to Dr Bujarbaruah, will save time in securing two degrees by the students in the university.
He also informed that Cornell University will bear the expenditure of both training and lodging of the faculties and students sent to the university from AAU. AAU has only to send them to USA on their own cost. Likewise, AAU will also bears all the expenditure of the persons coming from Cornell University to AAU.
According to the tie-up, the faculty members of Cornell University will come to deliver lectures at AAU as guest faculty.
The AAU Vice-Chancellor further informed that he will seek funding from the organisations like Sri Ratan Tata Trust and Bill Gates Foundation to send the academicians from AAU to Cornell University.
Both the Master Degree level students and Post Graduate Research Scholars will be included in the students exchange programme.
