The Hindu : International / India & World : India to help Saudi Arabia set up centres of excellence

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 31, 2006

International

International - India & World

India to help Saudi Arabia set up centres of excellence

Riyadh: India on Tuesday agreed to help Saudi Arabia in setting up centres of excellence in its universities to promote scientific research and higher studies.

Visiting Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, who held talks with Saudi Minister of Higher Education Khaled Al-Angari, said he had a ``very fruitful discussion with the Saudi Minister to carry forward the recommendations of the Delhi Declaration signed on January 26 by King Abdullah and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.''

Promoting research

The centres of excellence would be established at the university-level to promote scientific research and higher studies with India's cooperation, Mr. Singh told PTI after the meeting.

An academic exchange programme would also get under way, he said, adding that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was being discussed.

Mr. Al-Angari said Saudi students would purse higher studies in the fields of medicine, engineering, basic sciences and information technology. There will also be an academic exchange programme involving professors from both countries as well as Saudi students at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

The meeting was also attended by India's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, M.O.H. Farook, Manager of Computer Science and IT Department at King Saud University Ihab Razin and other senior officials.

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