Pondicherry University and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi, have inked a Memorandum of Understanding to engage in joint research activities of mutual interest.
The MoU envisages exchange of teachers between the institutions on teaching, training and research matters, exchange of Ph.D. research scholars, postgraduate students and exchange of information and publication on the successful completion of research projects.
Prior to signing the MoU, Prof. Anisa Basheer Khan, Vice Chancellor (officiating) gave a low-down on the university and the facilities available for teaching and conducting research in different areas.
Prof. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, gave an overview of the work, including ongoing projects, of the IGNCA.
Under this MoU, several departments of Pondicherry University look to engage in deeper research in a range of niche subjects.
The History department is keen on pursuing research on rock arts and preservation of all artifacts and monuments of national importance in collaboration with IGNCA and Archaeological Survey of India while the Sanskrit department is interested in manuscriptology including digitising, preserving and transcribing the manuscripts.
The Department of Electronic Media & Mass Communication is exploring projects for documenting the cultural and heritage sites in and around Puducherry and Tamil Nadu and conservation of mural art collections and the Sociology department is interested in documenting a project on Draupadi temples . The Performing Arts department is interested in folk theatre related to therukoothu and shadow puppet theatre while the Tamil Nadu Department of Library & Information Science is keen on initiating a joint postgraduate degree programme in Cultural & Heritage Informatics where teaching will be offered to students at PCU and practical training will be provided at IGNCA.
