Nalanda Uni, Russia’s Kalmyk Uni sign deal to boost cooperation

New Delhi: A Russian university and India's Nalanda University have inked a pact towards enhancing educational, scientific and cultural collaboration between the two countries, officials said on Monday, PTI reported.

The Memorandum of Cooperation signed with Kalmyk State University, named after B B Gorodovikov in Elista, provides an institutional framework for all planned initiatives, including student and faculty exchanges, joint research, and academic events, the Indian Culture Ministry said.

"Both sides expressed confidence that the partnership will open new horizons for students and scholars from India and Russia and elevate bilateral cooperation in education, culture, and the humanities to a new level," it said in a statement dated October 19.

The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation marks a significant step towards enhancing educational, scientific, and cultural collaboration between India and Russia, the officials said.

The meeting was held at Kalmyk State University in the presence of senior dignitaries from both sides, including Nikhilesh Chandra Giri, Minister Plenipotentiary, Embassy of India in the Russian Federation; Vinay Kumar, Minister (Education), Embassy of India; and Sachin Chaturvedi, Vice-Chancellor, Nalanda University (who joined the meeting via video link).

Aleksey Eteyev, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Government of Kalmykia, and Badma Salayev, Rector, Kalmyk State University, were also present on the occasion.

Salayev underlined the importance of this partnership, noting that the visit of Indian diplomats and academic representatives marks a "new chapter in the deepening of educational and cultural cooperation".

He observed that the just-held exposition of the sacred relics of Lord Buddha, in Kalmykia, holds profound symbolic significance, further strengthening interreligious and intercultural dialogue.