VARANASI : Banaras Hindu University and Karlstad University, Sweden, have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance academic collaboration and intercultural exchange. Both sides exchanged the MoU at a ceremony held at the Central Office of Banaras Hindu University on Tuesday. The renewal reaffirms the two universities’ long-standing partnership and their shared commitment to further academic cooperation.
The MoU renewal ceremony was graced by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, who expressed satisfaction over the strengthening of this international partnership, noting that such collaborations “enrich academic excellence and foster mutual understanding between nations.” Prof. Pawel Odyniec, Head of the India Studies Program, Karlstad University, emphasized his university’s commitment to expanding cooperation in peace research, intercultural education, and transdisciplinary studies. He also announced that under the renewed MoU, Karlstad University will offer courses—either in person at Karlstad, Sweden, or online—exclusively for BHU students and researchers, with the course fees being completely waived, thereby promoting equitable access to international learning and research opportunities.
The renewed MoU focuses on collaborative research, faculty and student exchanges, joint seminars, and academic programs that promote global learning and peace studies. Their presence underscored the strengthening academic and cultural linkages between the two institutions.
The delegation from Karlstad University also included Prof. Johanna Elfgren, Director, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; and Prof. Karoliina Alegod, Professor, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. From BHU, Prof. Rajesh Singh, Coordinator (International Collaborations); Prof. Manoj Kumar Mishra, Coordinator, Malaviya Centre for Peace Research (MCPR); and Dr. Ajay Kumar Yadav, Assistant Professor, MCPR, Faculty of Social Sciences, were also present on the occasion.
This renewal of the MoU between the two leading institutions marks a significant milestone in the continuing academic partnership between BHU and Karlstad University, fostering a shared vision of global education, peace, and sustainable development.
