Kochi: BPCL-Kochi Refinery and Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) are opening a fresh chapter in industry-academia collaboration in the state by signing a Memorandum of Under-standing (MoU) to hit a set of goals that are mutually beneficial.
The MoU signed recently by CUSAT Registrar Dr K Ajitha and Prasad K. Panicker, executive director of BPCL-Kochi Refinery, aims to promote interaction between all the departments of CUSAT and BPCL.
Prof G. Madhu, Head, Division of Safety & Fire Engineering, Cusat, on Tuesday visited the BPCL-Kochi Refinery unit at Ambalamugal and held discussions in this regard.
“At the initial discussion the BPCL-Kochi Refinery officials broached the idea of using the expertise of Cusat in increasing the efficiency of the tools and machinery used at their unit and we decided to explore the same. They have also proposed starting courses jointly and develop syllabus for the same which will also be taken up,” said Prof Madhu.
The MoU envisages industrial internships /trainings/visits of students and research scholars of Cusat at various departments of BPCL and collection of data and conduct of surveys for research and project works by research scholars and students.
Joint research activities pertaining to BPCL requirements and funded by BPCL and/or external agencies and publications in areas mutually agreed upon are also envisaged.
Scientific materials and study reports, books and publications will also be shared by the two. Exchange of faculty in relevant areas, supporting and sponsoring B.Tech, M.Tech, Ph.D and post-doctoral projects by BPCL, consultancy by CUSAT faculty for BPCL, joint organisation of international/national conferences/seminars/workshops and its sponsoring by BPCL and supporting BPCL in disaster management with the forecast from Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Rese-arch (ACARR) of Cusat are envisaged in the MoU.
CUSAT may conduct training programmes related to safety and fire engineering for BPCL employees. BPCL may provide scraps and obsolete items required by the School of Engineering for instructional purpose.
Executive director Prasad K. Panicker said that there is large potential for collaboration between BPCL and CUSAT in view of the diversification of BPCL into the petrochemical field. He requested Cusat to increase the part-time BTech course seats meant for employees of government departments and industrial institutions and Cusat has responded positively to it.
