An engaged academia – practitioner collaboration: GRAAM & Chanakya University Sign MoU

Chanakya University and Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement (GRAAM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently at Bengaluru. The main focus of the MoU is collaboration in academic, research and other knowledge-building programmes. In addition to these programmes, GRAAM will also engage student interns from the University to provide hands-on experience on various themes of development. The MoU also includes the exchange of faculty and experts, thereby providing an interface between academia and practitioners.

The MoU was signed and exchanged between Dr Basavaraju R Shrestha, Executive Director of GRAAM and Prof Yashavantha Dongre, Vice Chancellor of Chanakya University in the simple ceremony held at Bengaluru on 04th October 2023.

The MoU will benefit the university by providing practical hands-on exposure to the students who have enrolled in its fellowship and PG courses. The University will thereby provide a platform for the students to interact with the communities at the grassroots level and practitioners. It also strengthens GRAAM’s outreach to the communities at the grassroots and extends the impact by enabling pragmatic research and policy-making. The faculty-exchange programme in MoU provides a forum for mutual exchange of knowledge & experiences in the social development areas.

The event was participated by the faculties and professionals of both organisations including Mr Nagaraj Reddy, COO, Dr Chetan Singai, Associate Professor & Academic Lead and Dr Kumara Swamy, Assistant Professor, Mr Vinay Venkatraman Director, Special Programmes from Chanakya University, Mr. Bhagavan BR, Head - Impact Innovation and Knowledge Consulting (IIK-CON) and Ms. Suma Jairam, Sr. Manager - Impact Innovation and Knowledge Consulting (IIK-CON) from GRAAM.

Following the MoU Signing, Dr Basavaraju addressed fellows of the Chanakya Fellowship in Social Sciences (CFSS) and brainstormed on various aspects of grassroots governance and rural development. The visiting delegation was shown the hostel block and other upcoming buildings of the sprawling Chanakya University campus.