SRINAGAR: Islamia College of Science and Commerce (ICSC), Hawal, Srinagar, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rapture Biotech, Jammu, today, with the objective of strengthening academic–industry collaboration and providing structured internship opportunities to students in line with the provisions of the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020.
The MoU was signed by Dr. Aijaz Ahmad Hakak, Principal, Islamia College of Science and Commerce and Dr. Ambika Slathia, Director, Rapture Biotech, at the College premises. Dr. Abid Hussain Banday, Coordinator Internships, Science, and Dr. Aijaz Ahmad Mir, Coordinator Internships, Commerce and Humanities, were also present.
The signing marks an important step towards facilitating meaningful industry exposure and experiential learning for students, particularly through the mandatory 2-credit, 60-hour internship component prescribed under the undergraduate curriculum.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Aijaz Ahmad Hakak, highlighted the importance of establishing sustained linkages between higher education institutions and industry to enhance students’ practical skills, professional competencies and employability. He emphasized that such collaborations provide students with opportunities to complement classroom learning with hands-on exposure to real-world work environments.
Dr. Ambika Slathia, Director, Rapture Biotech, expressed her commitment to supporting the College in providing students with meaningful exposure to contemporary practices in biotechnology and allied areas. She underscored the importance of industry–academia partnerships in preparing students for emerging opportunities in research, biotechnology and related sectors.
The Coordinator Internships, Science, stated that the collaboration would contribute significantly towards creating organized internship pathways for students of the science stream and strengthening the College’s broader initiative of establishing MoUs with reputed institutions, research organizations and industries.
The MoU is expected to provide a structured framework for student internships, practical training, skill development and experiential learning, while also facilitating interaction between academic and professional domains.
The signing of the MoU represents another step towards the College’s continued efforts to promote experiential learning, industry–academia interface, skill development and employability-oriented education, in keeping with the objectives of NEP-2020.
