National Institute of Technology

Sep 11, 2023

NITC and IMHANS inks MoU

Joint collaborations to focus on research and training

National Institute of Technology Calicut (NITC) and Institute for Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure enhanced mental health access to the students and faculty of NIT Calicut, on Monday. The MoU aims to promote joint collaborative research on mental health and neurosciences by the experts of both institutions.

The initiative is part of the Central Government's direction to promote mental health and wellbeing in higher education institutions. The MoU will focus on conducting training and outreach programmes on mental health awareness. Policy-making for the benefit of students, faculty and the NITC community as a whole is also the key objective of the MoU.

The collaboration can result in the comprehensive well-being of the students, faculty and the community at the NITC, said Prof. Prasad Krishna, Director of NITC, during the signing of the MoU. He added that the collaboration will be able to study the mental health issues among the students, identify the reasons that lead to suicide among the students and study the mental stress they experience.

As per the Memorandum of Understanding, the collaboration will facilitate the experts from both institutions to work towards mental wellness. The initiative aims at sharing knowledge in areas such as research, academics and training.

Prof. Prasad Krishna has also suggested the IMHANS authorities begin the collaboration with intense training for faculty members to equip them to understand the signs and symptoms of mental issues among students. Students and faculty members can be made wellness ambassadors with proper training to avoid different sorts of emotional and mental health issues in the community, he said mentioning the role of gaming and loss of money due to gaming for suicide among students.

The collaboration is expected to enable the exchange of faculty/scientists and students (post-graduates and research scholars) for mutual benefits. The MoU will also encourage the undertaking of joint research projects, surveys and studies on mental health-related topics.

As part of the Memorandum of Understanding, the two institutes will jointly organize seminars, workshops and conferences to facilitate knowledge sharing and interdisciplinary dialogue between NITC and IMHANS faculty members, researchers, and students.

NITC and IMHANS will also engage in faculty exchange, enabling experts from both institutions to share their knowledge and experience through guest lectures and teaching assignments.

The MoU was inked by Prof. G K Rajanikant, Dean (Students’ Welfare) and Dr. P K Anish, Director-in-charge and Assistant Professor (Psychiatry), IMHANS.

Dr. M Yogesh Kumar, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Department, NITC; Dr. Rajith K Raveendran, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Dr. Shabeesh Balan of IMHANS were also present while exchanging the MoU.

Media Reports