The Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UltraTech Cement, a flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, marking a significant step towards enhancing industry-academia collaboration in the areas of skill development, innovation, and sustainable construction.
The MoU signing ceremony presided by Prof. Shakil A Romshoo (Vice Chancellor IUST) was held at IUST Campus III and was attended by key representatives from UltraTech Cement including Mr. Vivek Jain, Mr. Rahul Goel, Dr. Vijay Singh Rathore, Mr. Vipin Choudhary, and Mr. Rajesh Kumar, Prof. A.H.Moon (Dean Academics), Prof. Parvez A Mir (CEO, CIED IUST Foundation), Mr. Sameer Wazir (Finance Officer), Dr. Ruheela Hassan (Dean Outreach), and coordinators of different CIED verticals.
As part of the collaboration, two state-of-the-art facilities were inaugurated on the IUST campus: The Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Construction Materials and the FLIP Ideation Lab. These centres aim to promote innovation, research, and upskilling in the domain of sustainable infrastructure and material science.
Prof. Romshoo, reaffirmed the university’s priority on skill development and sustainability. He said that through such partnerships, IUST aims to develop a disaster-conscious citizenry and encourage active participation of students from engineering and polytechnic backgrounds. Prof. Moon, highlighted the integration of skills and experiential learning under the National Credit Framework, and noted that IUST is among the first universities to implement this model and is working towards a system of formal skill certification.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Mir, emphasized the university's commitment to fostering innovation and skill development. "We are focused on equipping our students with industry-relevant skills, and this partnership with UltraTech is aligned with our vision,” he said. Mr. Vivek Jain expressed strong confidence in the collaboration, especially in terms of promoting upskilling and sustainable construction practices in the region. Mr. Rahul Goel noted that this centre will be the first such centre in Kashmir and emphasized the need for innovative solutions in weather-resilient construction and reiterated UltraTech's commitment to green initiatives.