Two premier institutions of the Northeast — the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, and the North Eastern Space Applications Centre (Nesac), Shillong — have joined hands to work for the development of the region and create a pool of skilled professionals.

The two institutions signed a memorandum of understanding on June 28 aimed at launching joint initiatives including internship, joint degree, short-term training and student exchange programmes and joint projects, among others, an IIT Guwahati statement said.

Through this partnership, a multidisciplinary approach would be adopted to study disasters as the Northeast is prone to flood, earthquake, landslide and riverbank erosion, it said.

These disasters can sometimes become a “roadblock” to the growth of the region and to address these challenges in a “more” meaningful way, these premier institutes felt the need to work together through collaboration.

Highlighting the unique aspects of this collaboration, IIT Guwahati director Prof. T.G. Sitharam said there will be “limitless” opportunities for the two institutes to work together and achieve new heights in research, innovation and capacity development for the Northeast.

“Joint certificate programmes, visiting professorship for teaching a few suitable courses along with the IIT-G faculty are few of the initiatives that both institutes could take forward,” he said.

IIT Guwahati was established in 1994.

Nesac director P.L.N. Raju said: “The signing of an MoU with IIT Guwahati and specifically with its CDMR (Centre for Disaster Management and Research), focusing on training education and research, will further enhance Nesac in strengthening capacity building, training and research in this region. I am looking forward for a fruitful and highly successful MoU between IIT-G and Nesac benefiting the society as a whole.”

IIT Guwahati had established the Centre for Disaster Management and Research on the “advice” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sources said the Nesac has also tied up with the North Eastern Regional Institute of Water and Land Management, Tezpur, and the North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach, Shillong, to contribute towards the development of the region.

“The whole idea is to see how we can use space technology support along with research for flood management and the development of the agriculture sector, among others. We are also helping the northeastern states in preparing plans of action and their execution for the development of the region,” Raju said.

One of the sources said the Nesac is helping the Assam government to prepare the plan of action for 25 projects.

The Nesac, a joint initiative of the department of space and the North Eastern Council, provides an operational remote sensing and geographic information system aided natural resource information base to support activities on development/management of natural resources and infrastructure planning in the region, among others.