India, Italy lauds scientific collaboration

India and Italy on Monday lauded the long standing collaboration in science and technology involving the best scientific and academic institutions of both the countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni noted the increasing number of student exchange programmes at the university level and the growing presence of Indian students in Italian universities.

They expressed appreciation at the forthcoming launch of the first Roadshow of the Italian Universities in India which will take place in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru in November 2017.

Both the sides agreed to explore the prospects establishing state-of-the-art skill academies in India for providing training to trainers and trainees on trans-national standards.

They also agreed to initiate collaboration on apprenticeship and on the relationship between industrial clusters and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system.

The two leaders underlined the importance of the Executive Programme of Cooperation (EPOC) for the years 2017 to 2019.

The EPOC will provide joint financing for 23 projects of cooperation and the implementation of the EPOC is expected to further consolidate the ongoing collaboration between Italian and Indian universities, with around 200 partnership agreements already in operation.

The two leaders appreciated the innovative research undertaken by the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) through its chapters in Italian city Trieste and New Delhi for promoting the latest techniques in the fields of biomedicine, crop improvement, environmental protection / remediation, vaccine and biopharmaceuticals development and bio-pesticide production for the benefit of developing countries.

The two leaders further agreed to encourage cooperation in the field of disaster risk reduction and management.