KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
The University of Kashmir has become a member of the prestigious Himalayan University Consortium (HUC), a vast network for sustainable mountain development of the Hindu Kush Himalayan region.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Khurshid Iqbal Andrabi signed a formal HUC Charter in this regard, during an international-level conference in New Delhi, a statement issued by PRO KU said on Wednesday late evening.
The Consortium is an international 33-member University network for education and research for sustainable mountain development of the Hindu Kush Himalayan region covering many large, vulnerable, and fragile ecosystems in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.
The HUC vision includes contributing to enhanced collaboration among the universities of the region and promote centers of excellence on key areas relevant to it.
The aim of the HUC is also to build a dynamic mountain knowledge partnership among universities to promote regional cooperation on research and learning.
The MoU was signed during an international-level conference organized by the Indian National Science Academy (NSA) at New Delhi where the participants included 20 Vice-Chancellors and Presidents of universities from eight regional member countries, as well as representatives from a number of other regional and international organizations interested and engaged in university-level education and research in the region.
In his address at the Charter-signing ceremony, Prof Andrabi assured the HUC partners that Kashmir University would contribute significantly towards achieving the mission and vision of the consortium.
“KU is keen to share its knowledge resources with other HUC partners for judicious and informed management of the mountain resources in the HKH region,” he said.
Prof Shakil Romshoo, Head of the Earth Sciences Department at KU—who spearheaded the efforts of the University for international cooperation with HUC and other international organizations—said the HUC-KU cooperation shall open up various collaborative opportunities for the University’s faculty and students in a wide range of areas including climate change, water resources, glaciology, ecological monitoring, high altitude research, bio-diversity, trans-boundary issues and eco-tourism.
The conference titled ‘Mobilizing University Research For Tackling Water, Climate Change and Adaptation Challenges in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region’ was organized with the active support of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.
The HUC, apart from 33 full members from eight regional countries, has 10 associate members mostly from Australia, Europe and North America.
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) currently hosts the HUC Secretariat.
