Awantipora, Oct 27 : The Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the YUVA Innovation Hub of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu under Mission YUVA to strengthen entrepreneurship, promote innovation and support youth-led enterprise development across Jammu and Kashmir.
The MoU was signed by the CIED–IUST Foundation at the IUST Innovation Campus, with a focus on facilitating knowledge exchange, mentorship, capacity building and institutional support for aspiring entrepreneurs.
According to a statement issued, Vivek Aggarwal, IAS, Director of Employment and Managing Director, Mission YUVA, J&K, appreciated IUST’s initiatives in promoting entrepreneurship and innovation. He expressed confidence that the collaboration would advance Mission YUVA’s objectives by nurturing entrepreneurial aspirations among youth and supporting the development of sustainable enterprises.
Prof. Parvez Ahmad Mir, CEO of the CIED–IUST Foundation, highlighted the university’s efforts to foster an entrepreneurial culture through institutional support, capacity building and startup development.
He also noted that IUST had secured a four-star rating under the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) framework for three consecutive years, reflecting its continued commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship.
The collaboration is expected to create opportunities for closer engagement between the university’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and Mission YUVA’s initiatives aimed at youth empowerment and enterprise creation.
The programme featured a presentation on the objectives and scope of the collaboration, along with an overview of the achievements of the CIED–IUST Foundation. A compilation highlighting the Foundation’s triple-certification achievements was also presented.
A cake-cutting ceremony was held to commemorate IUST’s continued four-star IIC rating, while coordinators of the CIED–IUST Foundation were felicitated for their contributions to the university’s entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives.
The programme was attended by IUST Finance Officer Sameer Wazir, Government Polytechnic College Principal Altaf Hussain Shalla, Dr G. N. Itoo, Director, Centre for Good Governance and Policy Analysis, Dr Peer Bilal, Director DIQA, Dr Ruheela Hassan, Dean Outreach, Dr Monisa Qadiri, Dean Students, and Dr Basharat N. Dar, Coordinator EDC/CPMSB/STEM, besides CIED coordinators, representatives of IIM Jammu, faculty members, entrepreneurs, research scholars and students.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Shameem Iqbal Nahvi, who acknowledged the contributions of the dignitaries, institutional representatives and participants.
The MoU marks another step towards strengthening institutional partnerships and creating opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, employment generation and sustainable economic growth in Jammu and Kashmir. (KNS)
