Indian state Kerala to collaborate with Dominican Republic universities for research on film and culture

This has been the outcome of the visit of Dominican Republic ambassador David Piug to the University of Kerala

David Piug, the Dominican Republic ambassador, visited the University of Kerala in Thiruvananthapuram, adding impetus to formalizing academic ties with the universities in the Dominican Republic. The result has been the announcement that Kerala University will collaborate with universities in the Latin American nation for research in various fields, including culture, trade, agriculture, and tropical medicine.

Speaking on the occasion, Piug said, “The common geography between Kerala and the Dominican Republic and the sizeable Indian diaspora there offer promising possibilities for the academic communities of both places to engage in fruitful dialogue and research.” Piug estimated that there are about 200 Indians and people of Indian origin residing in the Dominican Republic and said he was delighted with the results of his visit.

VP Mahadevan Pillai, the Kerala University Vice-Chancellor, added that the collaboration would involve student-faculty exchange, twinning programs, and joint research projects with faculty members. University Pro-Vice-Chancellor PP Ajayakumar, Registrar KS Anil Kumar, and the Dominican Republic Embassy Third Secretary Francisco Soliman were also a part of the discussions, as were Centre for Latin American Studies Director Girish Kumar and Controller of Examinations N Gopakumar.

A university official told how the ICCR had sponsored Hindustan Kalari Sangam, a martial arts group from Kerala, to perform two shows in Santo Domingo in 2010 in collaboration their government and the Dominican Ministry of Culture. “The joint collaboration in the academic sphere seeks to delve deeper into important areas including pharmaceuticals, information technology, tourism, mining, renewable energy, film and culture,” informed the official, who also told that the Ministry of External Affairs has actioned bilateral cultural agreements with the Dominican Republic govt.