Father Lafont Centre for Excellence in Research and Innovation (LCERI) of St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the India Japan Laboratory of Keio University, Japan on July 5, 2024 at the SXUK campus.

The MoU was signed by Rev. Dr. John Felix Raj, S.J., Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata and Dr. Rajib Shaw, Director, India Japan Laboratory, Keio University, Japan. It aims to foster research and international collaborations in various areas between these two universities.

The chief guest was Mr. Javed Ahmed Khan, Minister for Disaster Management and Civil Defence, Govt. of West Bengal. Mr. Yamasaki Matsutaro, Acting Consul General of Japan in Kolkata was the special guest.

Mr. Khan mentioned that the state government is keen in disaster risk reduction and set up a system for the same at the block level. Mr. Yamasaki Matsutaro referred to the long-standing relations between India and Japan.

Prof. Rajib Shaw shared Japan’s technological advancements in disaster resilience to the projects to be undertaken jointly by these two universities.

This partnership will enable both the universities to share academic resources and undertake research projects in areas of sustainability, environment, disaster, and resilience management. One of the thrust areas of capacity building and research will be disaster management including disaster resilience, disaster risk reduction and disaster communication.

Mr. Jayanta Basu, Senior Journalist and Environment Specialist, Dr. Snehasis Sur, Senior Journalist and President, Press Club, Kolkata and Dr. Kapil Gosh, Assistant Professor, Diamond Harbour Women’s University were present.

A meeting on future collaboration in research projects on the impact of climate change on the livelihoods of people in the Sundarbans, West Bengal was also held.
 

Dr. Soma Sur