The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday signed four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with various organisations engaged in educational activities, to promote innovation, internationalization and establishment of research capacities.
The agreements were singed a day after chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu stressed the need to devise and implement a roadmap for higher education in the state.
The memorandums have been signed between Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education and various institutions including the British Council—UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations, Quacquarelli Symonds, a British company specialising in higher education, career solutions and study abroad, and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
The agreements aim at building a global brand for the state as a destination for higher education by providing training and workshops to students and universities in the best practices.
The MoUs, which were signed at the FICCI higher education summit, seek to increase employability of students by enhancing skills and entrepreneurship capabilities. The signing parties will work towards providing guidance and support to universities in the state to establish research capacities and encourage internationalization and branding.
The minister said the state government has undertaken several initiatives focusing on strengthening State Universities, establishing premier national institutes and also attracting private sector investments into higher education sector, news agency PTI reported on Thursday.
Some state and private universities also became parties to the MoUs with these organizations. The universities include, Shri Venkateshwara University and Andhra University.
“The vision for higher education is to transform the state into an education and knowledge hub of global standards. We are looking at partnerships which lead us to more equity, greater quality and excellence in higher education,” said Sumita Dawra, principal secretary of higher education, Andhra Pradesh.