VIT signs MoU with Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, Belgium   

Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven, Belgium.  

As part of the MoU both the institutes have envisioned several modules of teaching and research projects, including exchange of Graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and faculty exchange on a regular basis to stimulate mutually beneficial research projects. Dr. Sekar Viswanathan, Vice President, VIT and Prof. Luc Sels, Rector, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium signed the MoU.  

With the signing of the MoU distinguished faculty from KU Leuven will be periodically invited to VIT as adjunct faculty and at the same time nominated faculty from VIT will receive special training on research and teaching at KU Leuven.  

Speaking on the importance and potential of the collaboration between the two Institutes, Dr. Sandhya Pentareddy, Executive Director, VIT said, “The MoU which includes research collaboration and faculty/student exchange is timely as KU Leuven is in the process of joint degree programmes with VIT. The two Universities can collaborate very effectively in their common goal to achieve an excellence in higher education and research.”  

Dr. Sekar Viswanathan, Vice President, VIT said, “The two Universities have mutually decided upon a few broad areas of study for bilateral scientific relationships and joint degree programmes. These include topics such as Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and ICT programmes in the first phase. Joint capacity building workshops will also be conducted to facilitate exchange of ideas and scholars will regularly be invited to present their research publications and cutting-edge technologies of specialised engineering fields identified by the both institutions.”  

KU Leuven has been a centre of learning for almost six centuries. Founded in 1425 by Pope Martin V, KU Leuven bears the double honour of being the oldest extant Catholic university in the world and the oldest university in the regions of Netherlands and Belgium, facilitating bilateral academic relationships, cooperative research as well as teaching projects on mutually interested fields with VIT.