MoS Sanjay Dhotre discusses bilateral issues on education with South African counterpart

New Delhi [India], Aug 26 (ANI): Minister of State (MoS) for Human Resource Development Sanjay Dhotre on Monday discussed bilateral issues on education with the South African Deputy Minister for Higher Education Buti Kgwaridi Manamela here.
During the meeting, the discussion between the two Ministers was focused mainly on recent Government of India initiatives and agreements under negotiation between the two countries.
The South African minister raised the issue regarding agreement on cooperation in the field of Higher Education including mutual recognition of different academic qualifications.
"They also proposed the formation of a Joint Committee on Education involving the two countries for better coordination," an official release said.
Dhotre stressed on the historic connection between the two countries and also mentioned Mahatma Gandhi's involvement in the non-violent movement in South Africa, especially in the context of his 150th birth anniversary celebrations.
"MoS also specified that South Africa is one of the countries covered under the GoI's Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC), a scheme aimed towards improving the research ecosystem by facilitating academic and research collaborations between Indian institutions and the best institutions in the world to jointly solve problems of national and international relevance," read the release.
Since the launch of the scheme in 2018, four research project proposals from the South African institutions have been accepted. Similarly, 17 reputed South African faculty members have, so far, arrived under the Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) programme, for short-term teaching assignments in the Indian institutions.
A comprehensive Memorandum of Association covering different facets of mutual cooperation in the field of education is under negotiation between the two countries. (ANI)