MANGALORE, Dec 28 (The Hindu): The National Institute of Technology-Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, has signed memorandums of understanding (MoU) with Kumamoto University, Kyushu, Japan, and ALSTOM Projects India Ltd, Mumbai, this month.

The areas of cooperation between Kumamoto University and NITK include academic exchange of students and faculty, exchange of technical publications, collaborative research in areas of mutual interest in the field of science and technology. The MoU was signed by Director of the institute Sandeep Sancheti and Dean of Kumamoto University Morozumi Mitsuo on December 10 during the 24th Indian Engineering Congress, a release from NIT-K said.

The Japanese university, established in 1949, is fully funded by the government of Japan. It has seven faculties, seven graduate schools and 13 research centres, supporting a wide spectrum of educational and research activities. Currently, it has more than 8,000 undergraduate students and 2,000 graduate students, including 320 international students from 39 countries. At present, the Kumamoto University has signed MoUs with 82 universities from 23 countries, according to the release.

ALSTOM Projects India Ltd., a global company manufacturing equipment and rendering services for power generation and rail transport, has supplied its products all over the world. The company has provided turnkey integrated power plant solutions to and associated services for a wide variety of energy sources, including hydro, gas, coal and nuclear energy, the release said.

The MoU provides opportunities for NITK students to do their internships at ALSTOM offices or industrial sites, offer guest lectures upon request, set up scholarships for meritorious students and sponsorship of important technical festivals of NITK. In addition, it facilitates organising industrial visits of NITK students, their participation in conventions, organising group discussions with NITK faculty, providing case studies for NITK faculty and students to analyse, organising network events between NITK and ALSTOM, and in helping faculty in submitting research projects to the company.

The NITK will also help in organising training sessions for the company’s employees. The MoU was signed by Prof. Sancheti and HR Director (India) Amaresh Singh on behalf of ALSTOM on December 18, the release said.