: After setting up collaborations with more than 10 universities abroad, the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) is now gearing up to tie up with Syiah Kuala University based at Banda Ache in Indonesia.
“This is the first such collaboration of the KVASU with a university in an Asian country. The KVASU is planning to collaborate with the university in the areas of entrepreneurship, policy research, food security, one health, livestock farming and dairying. The collaboration will help the university explore better opportunities within South East Asia,” said KVASU Vice Chancellor B. Ashok.
Recently T.P. Sethumadhavan, Director of Entrepreneurship, KVASU, had visited the Syiah Kuala University to attend an international workshop on food security and Food Safety-Clean Green and Ethical Animal Production.
“There is immense potential for commercial dairying and small ruminant production in the region. Moreover, the country has lot of local cattle and buffaloes of the species Ache Cattle. There is huge potential for crossbreeding this stock with exotic cattle to augment production,” Dr. Sethumadhavan told The Hindu after the visit.
Syiah Kuala University has a 55-year-old veterinary school and nearly 33,000 students. The tropical climate is similar to Kerala. It is a province on the Sumatran Islands, which was totally affected by the Tsunami . The country imports milk, meat and other products from Australia and the European Union.
The KVASU will explore the possibility of student and faculty exchange between the two universities. Senior officials of Syiah Kuala University will visit KVASU during November for further discussions, Dr. Sethumadhavan added.
‘Immense potential for dairy farming’
Student and faculty exchange programmes planned
