A CORRESPONDENT
PALASBARI: A high-level delegation from Girijananda Chowdhury University (GCU), Assam, has concluded a major scientific exchange visit to Mari State University (MarSU) in Yoshkar-Ola, Russia, reaffirming a significant Indo-Russian academic partnership.
The four-day visit, which ran from October 27 to 30 was conducted under an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions. The GCU delegation, composed of Dr Damiki Laloo and Dr Bhrigu Kumar Das from the university's Research and Development Cell, was tasked with strengthening international ties and exploring new opportunities for collaborative research.
This visit is part of a broader strategic outreach by GCU, which includes multiple agreements with other top Russian institutions, such as the Russian State University for the Humanities (signed in September 2023) and the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) (signed in April 2024).
The program commenced with an introductory exchange session where both universities presented their institutional profiles, academic strengths, and departmental expertise. Discussions quickly focused on identifying mutual interests across a diverse spectrum of fields, including pharmaceutical sciences, biomedical research, engineering, food technology, agriculture, and the humanities. This foundational session laid the groundwork for future collaborations, such as joint research projects, student and faculty exchanges, and shared academic programmes.
A key part of the visit involved the GCU delegates touring MarSU's advanced laboratories and departments. By interacting directly with faculty members and students, the delegation gained valuable insights into the university's interdisciplinary research, advanced scientific facilities, and ongoing projects, particularly in the medical and natural sciences.
The exchange also featured a mini-seminar co-hosted by GCU's School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and MarSU's Department of Biochemistry and Biomedicine. This session centered on natural product research, pharmacology, and drug discovery strategies for diabetes and cancer, fostering ideas for joint publications and collaborative research funding proposals.
On the final day, Dr Laloo and Dr Das delivered popular-scientific lectures to MarSU's medical students on the integration of traditional medicine with modern pharmacology, which was followed by a dynamic interactive session. The visit concluded with both universities reaffirming their strong commitment to their long-term partnership, marking a significant milestone in global scientific cooperation.
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