A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Institute of Chemistry Ceylon (IChemC), Sri Lanka, and the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Odisha, India, with the aim of organising student and staff exchanging processes for the research and other educational purposes.This took place at the KIIT in India recently when a delegation consisting of the President of IChemC, Prof. Janitha Liyanage, and its Joint- Secretary, Dr. Thelma Abeysinghe visited the KIIT. The MoU was signed by the President of IChemC, Prof. Liyanage, and Vice Chancellor of KIIT, Prof. Saranjit Singh.
IChemC, the professional body for chemistry in Sri Lanka provides several degree and diploma programs in chemistry and related fields. These include the Graduateship in Chemistry (GIC) as the professional program and the B.Sc. honors degree in Chemical Science and proposed B.Sc. honors degree in Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) as academic programs. Both the GIC and B.Sc. honors degree in Chemical Science are accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), UK and the latter by the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Sri Lanka.
KIIT is an institution in India which has grown in its scope and scale in a short span of 25 years; with undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Engineering, Biotechnology, Medical Sciences, Applied Sciences, and Management, while employing over 3,000 eminent faculty and researchers, and 15,000 staff. The campus houses a 2,600-bedded super specialty hospital, a multi-storied central library, a central research facility, a 22-storied research and innovation wing, auditoriums – the largest one with 5,000 seating capacity, and sports complexes with international standards. It has received accreditations and affiliations from prestigious national and international bodies such as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), USA and the Institution of Engineering and Technology, (IET), UK, and is ranked in the cohort of 601-800 in the Times Higher Education ‘World University Ranking 2024’.
Notable representatives from the KIIT, including the founder of KIIT, Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Registrar, Prof. Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty and Associate Dean, Central Research Center, KIIT, Prof. Rojalin Sahu also joined the event of signing the MoU. This agreement also plans to establish continuous communication and exchange in the field of chemistry and related disciplines, benefiting the scientific communities of both Sri Lanka and India.
The partnership will focus on collaborative projects in scientific research, education, and social initiatives that will foster mutual growth and development.These representatives of both institutions are committed to promoting scientific exchange and educational initiatives under the new MoU, while strengthening ties between the Indian and Sri Lankan chemical communities and further contributing to global scientific progress through joint efforts.
