A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Turkey’s reputable USAK University and the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK) to increase academic cooperation between the two institutions.
The memorandum was signed by the Reactor of the USAK University Prof Dr Ekrem Savas and Vice-Chancellor of UAJK, Prof Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi at a ceremony held at the UAJK Muzaffarabad campus.
The two institutions agreed to cooperate on the exchange of students and staff in the context of the Erasmus programme.
They commit to respect the quality requirements of the Erasmus Charter for higher education in all aspects of the organisation and management of the mobility, in particular the recognition of the credits (or equivalent) awarded to students by the partner institutions.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Muhammad Kaleem Abbasi, Vice-Chancellor University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, thanked Dr Ekrem Savas, Rector of USAK University, and other members of the management for signing the MoU with his institution.
He expressed the hope that the agreement of mutual cooperation between the two universities will enable the students and teachers of the UAJK Muzaffarabad to benefit from the vast opportunities in the field of higher education and research. The USAK University, he went on to say, has also offered fellowships by allowing us to send our students to join USAK University in the final semester for practical training.
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He particularly thanked the Turkish government and the people of Turkey for their generous support to the people of Azad Kashmir after the catastrophic earthquake of 2005, saying that the great humanitarian spirit and Islamic brotherhood demonstrated by the Turkish government and people will never be forgotten.
“The present building of city campus of UAJK in Muzaffarabad would remain an emblem of the friendship and brotherhood between the people of Turkey and Azad Kashmir,” the vice-chancellor remarked.
Prof Abbasi said that the Turkish government was gradually opening the door to higher education for the students of AJK. More than 32 students from AJK are currently pursuing PhD and undergraduate studies at various Turkish universities and this number will grow further in the coming months and years, he added.
He also expressed the hope that the number of students and teachers coming from Azad Kashmir for higher education in Turkish institutions indicates that time is not far off when a sustainable educational corridor will be established between the people of the two regions.
Prior to the signing of the MoU, Dr Muhammad Naeem Ahmed, Director Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialisation (ORIC) introduced the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, its history, and educational programs and exchanged souvenirs with Dr Amjad Baraham, President of Palestine University.
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