TN-foreign univs exchange programme picks up

CHENNAI: Considering COVID-19 is losing its virulence and normalcy prevails in the society, the bilateral relations between Indian universities in Tamil Nadu and their counterparts abroad have increased in recent months.

Foreign exchange programmes for students and faculties in varsities have started picking up.

Institutions have also started conducting international education conferences and workshops as per the requirement.

At present, there are 13-State run universities across the State catering to lakhs of students. A senior official from the Higher Education Department told DT Next that after the 2020-lockdown, the bilateral tie-up with foreign universities had come to a standstill.

“Now, it had picked up well. Students have started going abroad for higher studies and internship,” he said. “Even faculties from various universities are visiting abroad for seminars.”

According to statistics given by the official, Anna University’s Centre for International Relations have started organising several programmes like inviting an Australian-based Edtech company to deliver innovation and entrepreneurship programme, organising the Japan Career Programme to provide opportunities for students to enhance their skills and boost employment prospects in that country, and launching the certificate course on Japanese language and studying in Australia.

Similarly, Mother Teresa Women’s University has signed a MoU with 5 international, 2 national and 6 State level institutions and industries to improve the standard of higher education and keep pace with current trends.

At Alagappa University, 10 students from countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Kenya and South Africa have been admitted to many programmes in the university under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Delhi.

Similarly, Periyar University had recently signed several MoUs with institutions such as the University of South Brittny, France, for mutual faculty exchange, Curtin University Sarawak, Malaysia, for students’ internship programme and Teknologi Petronas University, Malaysia, for internship and faculty exchange programme.