Berhampur: Authorities of the Berhampur University (BU) here said Tuesday that the educational institution has signed an MoU with an international think tank for collaborative research in the field of marine ecology. The research will aim to increase the livelihood opportunities for the fishermen in the Bay of Bengal region. Odisha has a 480- km long coastal line and thousands of people depend on the sea for their livelihood, Vice-Chancellor of the university, Geetanjali Dash said.
The university inked the agreement with the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) which serves as a think tank on trans-boundary and contemporary national issues of the member countries concerning fisheries management. The current members of the organisation are Bangladesh, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka while Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand are cooperating non-contracting parties. The MoU was signed Monday between Sachidananda Nayak, Registrar of Berhampur University and P Krishnan, director, BOBP-IGO in presence of Dash.
According to the MoU, the two entities have agreed to jointly carry out various academic activities for five years. The activities include student and scientist exchange programmes, collaborative research and exploring external funding opportunities. The students, researchers and teachers of marine science and environment science and other departments of the university would also benefit from the MoU, Dash informed. The collaborative research on the marine ecology and livelihood improvement of the fisherfolk will also help policymakers while formulating programmes for the state, the VC added.