To Advance Nutrition Research and Education

HYDERABAD :
The University of Hyderabad (UoH) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN) to establish a five-year institutional partnership aimed at strengthening collaboration in nutrition research, education, and public health initiatives.

ICMR-NIN, a premier public nutrition research institution in India with a legacy spanning over 100 years, has played a pivotal role in shaping national nutrition policies and advancing scientific research addressing major public health challenges. The collaboration is expected to enhance interdisciplinary research and training opportunities by leveraging the expertise of both institutions.

Strengthening Research, Training and Academic Collaboration

The partnership will promote:

• Joint education and training programs
• Faculty exchange initiatives
• Joint PhD programs
• Collaborative research and grant opportunities
• Organisation of symposiums, workshops, and conferences
• Student internships and placement opportunities at ICMR-NIN

The MoU was signed by Dr. Devesh Nigam, Registrar, University of Hyderabad, and Dr. Bharati Kulkarni, Director, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, in the presence of Prof. B. J. Rao, Vice Chancellor, University of Hyderabad.

Advancing Public Health and Community Engagement

Highlighting the importance of the collaboration, Prof. B. J. Rao emphasised the need to build strong researcher-to-researcher connections between the two institutions to drive impactful initiatives. He also expressed interest in exploring the establishment of mobile food and nutrition testing laboratories to improve community-level outreach.

Dr. Bharati Kulkarni outlined the evolution of ICMR-NIN over the past century and expressed confidence that the partnership holds significant potential to create meaningful impact at national, regional, and global levels, particularly within the Global South.

Exploring New Research Directions

Prof. Ramesh K. Mishra, Dean of the School of Medical Sciences at UoH, highlighted the opportunity to explore research on the role of nutrition in cognitive health and proposed co-hosting a symposium dedicated to this emerging area.

An overview of the MoU and planned collaborative activities was presented by Prof. B. R. Shamanna, Professor at the School of Medical Sciences. Scientists Dr. B. Santosh Kumar and Dr. Sairam Challa participated as coordinators representing ICMR-NIN.

The event was attended by faculty members, deans from the Schools of Medical Sciences and Engineering Sciences and Technology, and senior officials from both institutions.

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