Hyderabad: ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) has conducted a five-year collaboration with OUSMania University (OU) to support academic courses, research and technical training in space technology. The memorandum of understanding was signed at the university on Wednesday, with Vice President Kumar Molugaram and senior NRSC and ISRO scientists present.
“This is a critical moment to build space technology capabilities,” said Dr. Prakash Chauhan, director of NRSC. “Today’s space systems are critical for civilians and defense applications, and we need to train the right human resources to support them. This collaboration will contribute to this effort by preparing students for real-world satellite applications and remote sensing systems.”
As part of the agreement, undergraduate and graduate programs will be introduced in engineering and technology as well as in joint certification programs. Students will also participate in NRSC outreach activities, including the development of space science learning materials and live academic conferences with Indian scientists located in Antarctica.
Selected OU students will be allowed to conduct research directly in the NRSC. Teachers will also work with scientists on joint research projects. Partnerships include annual review meetings to track progress and adjust academic goals.
Professor Kumar Molugaram, Vice President of OU, said similar MOUS can be explored in other disciplines. “We are considering extending such collaborations to sectors outside engineering, such as social sciences and business, as skills in these areas are also timely and relevant,” he said, adding that the university will work to ensure the benefits of the partnership.
Professor P. Naveen Kumar, the Nodal official of the Memorandum of Understanding, said the university had earlier signed a similar agreement with the ISRO Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad, which led to the establishment of the GNSS Research Laboratory, which supports India’s indigenous satellite navigation system, Navic. “The new memorandum of understanding from the NRSC is the result of ongoing discussions and will expand ongoing research by the University in navigation systems and other spatial link projects,” he said.
