Kathmandu. Kathmandu: Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NIKKI) and Kathmandu University School of Management (KUSUM) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation between industry and education sector.

Director General of NIKKI Keshab Man Singh and Dean of Kusum Prof Dr Bijay KC signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organizations. According to the MoU, the two organisations will collaborate on internship and job creation, joint research, academia-industry exchanges, capacity building programmes, as well as training, workshops, conferences and co-hosting of summits.

The MoU aims to further strengthen the interconnection between educational knowledge and industrial practice, provide practical skills to students, and encourage innovation and entrepreneurship through joint initiatives. In addition, the two organizations have also agreed to conduct internship programs, initiatives to create employment opportunities in member companies and research on issues of mutual interest such as business, policy, technology, sustainability, tourism, energy and regional economic cooperation.

Similarly, both the organizations have decided to conduct training and certificate programs and capacity building workshops targeting students, professors and industrialists, as well as joint conferences, symposiums and guest lectures. It will contribute to decision-making in academic and professional fields by sharing research reports, policy summaries and other publications.

Besides, activities such as guidance, incubation support, pitch programs and study tours will also be conducted for entrepreneurship development.

Committed to strengthening nepal-India economic relations, Nikkei is a bilateral, non-governmental and non-profit organization founded in 1993 by leading entrepreneurs and industrialists including the late Prabhakar Rana. Nikkei has been playing an important role in facilitating cross-border cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, tourism, energy, infrastructure and industrial cooperation.

Similarly, Kathmandu University School of Management (KUSUM) was established in 1993 and is the first institution in Nepal to start an MBA program as per the internationally prevalent structure. Kusom is considered to be one of the leading public educational institutions dedicated to excellent teaching, research and innovation.