To promote innovation, incubation and other developmental activities in in Jammu & Kashmir, the Design and Innovation Centre (DIC) of the Central University of Kashmir (CUK) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Grassroots Innovations Augmentation Network (GIAN) Ahmedabad, at varsity’s Green Campus here on Thursday.
Registrar, Prof. M Afzal Zargar, Director DIC and Finance Officer, Prof. Fayaz Ahmad Nika, CEO, GIAN, Dr. Anamika Dey, visiting Professor, IIM, Ahmedabad, Prof. Anil K Gupta, Deans of Schools, Heads of Departments, senior functionaries of the varsity were also present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Prof. M Afzal Zargar said the MoU will usher a new era in the promotion of entrepreneurship and enterprise in the university. “The innovations will be successful through collaborative efforts of institutions and this MoU is one such initiative,” Prof. Zargar said, adding the university would extend all possible support to GIAN for making the MoU a huge success. He further said the New Education Policy has also made innovations, skill development, complimenting traditional knowledge with latest technology as the thrust areas and asked the faculty members to provide a platform to the students for showcasing their hidden and latent talent. Prof. Zargar said the DIC is already working on capitalizing the ideas of youth by asking them to develop the prototypes, which could be patented.
Speaking on the occasion, Director DIC and Finance Officer, Prof. Fayaz Ahmad Nika, said, the mandate of the DIC is to promote innovation and create a research environment for the youth to explore the realities of nature and innovate for the benefit of the masses. “DIC is a prestigious project and is working on the Hub and Scope model, with CUK being the hub and scopes, working across the length and breadth of Kashmir, including Ladakh,” he said. Prof. Nika said the objective of this MoU is to establish a close partnership between CUK and GIAN that will foster a collaborative environment in leveraging the collective effort of both the parties. He said the DIC will help in identifying & Scouting innovative ideas for and from grassroots within Jammu and Kashmir.
In her address, CEO, GIAN, Dr. Anamika Dey, said, “Only idea is not an innovation, one needs a proper ecosystem to make an idea workable and sustainable. There is a crucial need for building the academia and industry relations, as only through continuous collaboration both can achieve great results with synergy.” She said GIAN will help DIC in vetting, validating, and in properly understanding the technical and commercial aspects of scouted Grassroots and student Innovations. She assured that the MoU would be implemented in letter and spirit.
Addressing the gathering, visiting Professor, IIM, Ahmedabad, Prof. Anil K Gupta, said, the innovation is not difficult, but remaining in the state of inertia and not coming out of it is problematic. DIC has to enable the students of the university to identify the unmet needs of the community and subsequently work on them, so that the society would be benefited at large.
DIC Coordinator, Dr. Firdous Sofal conducted the programme proceedings while as Teaching Asst DIC, Dr. Syed Anjum proposed the vote of thanks.
