Assam Skill University & Balipara Foundation Sign MoU to Foster Skill Development & Sustainable Tourism
Assam Skill University (ASU) and Balipara Foundation formalized a strategic partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), in the presence of ASU’s Honourable Vice Chancellor, Subhash Chandra Das, and Registrar, Hanif Noorani. This sets the foundation for a collaborative effort to promote skill development, sustainable tourism, and livelihoods in the Eastern Himalayan region.
Established with the vision to equip youth with 21st-century skills, Assam Skill University is the first Govt. skill university in the North-East dedicated to delivering quality education and industry-aligned training across a range of emerging sectors such as tourism and skill development. Through this MoU, ASU joins hands with Balipara Foundation, a non-profit organization renowned for its community-based conservation approach through its proprietary framework of Naturenomics™, to foster meaningful engagement between academia and grassroots ecological action.
Under the MoU, Assam Skill University and Balipara Foundation will collaborate on a range of initiatives aimed at building skills and promoting sustainability education. This includes training programs and workshops focused on sustainable tourism, eco-tourism managementand capacity building for community-based development.
The partnership will also drive joint research and innovation in nature-based solutions, with both institutions engaging in knowledge exchange, co-publication of research articles, and co-host expert-led sessions at the Eastern Himalayan Naturenomics™ Forum by Balipara Foundation and other programmes by ASU. These efforts will explore the integration of youth engagement and capacity building for conservation.
“This timely collaboration stems from a shared vision to link youth skills with sustainability. Community-based tourism is central to our partnership. Together, we aim to create immersive learning experiences where students engage directly with communities, gaining firsthand insight into conservation, culture, and livelihoods in the Eastern Himalayas”, said Karishma Ahmed, Chief Communications Architect, Balipara Foundation.
“This collaboration will not only equip students to become industry-ready professionals but also train them in emerging sustainability practices they can apply in real-world contexts,” said Dr. Shapna Medhi, Assistant Professor, ASU. “By blending ASU’s academic strength with Balipara Foundation’s grassroots expertise, this partnership offers students hands-on exposure to community-based impact,” added Dr. Mahesh C. Uniyal, Professor and HOD, Dept. of Tourism, ASU.
