[MINUS]

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A French delegation on Tuesday held discussions with Kerala University officials with an aim to identify probable collaborative interests between the University and institutions in France.

The delegation comprised of Olivier Duchatelle, attache for university cooperation, French Embassy in India; Jean Esselinck, head of operations Asia, Campus France Paris; Archana Chaudhary, coordinator Campus France India; Amelie Weigel, director, Alliance Francaise de Trivandrum; Dominique de Gasquet, charge de mission university cooperation, French embassy, in charge of Indo-French Alumni Network and Laurent Reyes, university cooperation service of the French embassy.

Vice-Chancellor Dr A. Jayakrishnan highlighted the noteworthy research being carried out by the teaching and research departments of the University, in his presentation.

The delegation elaborated on the kind of collaborative projects that can be extended to the University. The discussion was mainly centred around dual degree programmes, short-term and long-term student exchange programmes, French tutor on campus programme and mobility grants for faculty as well as students.

The delegation members expressed their willingness to have more detailed deliberations on the dual degree programme in PG or post-PG levels, by which innovative courses can be jointly conducted so that the students will study part of the course here and part in a French university.

Research areas in the fields of life sciences, biochemistry, biotechnology, bioinformatics, nanoscience, disaster management, coastal management and geoinformatics, management studies, humanities and languages will be probed for collaborative research.

The delegation expressed their interest to collaborate for starting French language degree or diploma courses as well as to extend the tutor on campus programme for the conduct of short-term French language course. It also discussed the details of the financial assistance provided under mobility grants to faculty members as well as students for short and long-term visits to institutions in France.

As part of the programme, a workshop for students was conducted on the Kariavattom campus, about options for higher education in France as well as scholarships awarded by the French government and French companies to study in France.

Science dean V. Prasannakumar also attended the meeting.

Source Expressbuzz