The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Kurukshetra University (KU) have signed a letter of understanding for partnering on research and advocacy on gender, climate change, and nutrition issues, said a spokesperson of the university.
Brajesh Sawhney, Director of Public Relations of Kurukshetra University, said that the letter was signed between Sanjeev Sharma, registrar of the university, and Bishow Parajuli, representative and country director, WFP in India, in the presence of vice-chancellor Prof Som Nath Sachdeva.
Under the partnership, the two will work on enhancing gender equality and women empowerment through gender mainstreaming around intra-household access to food, improved nutrition, and social and financial inclusion, climate resilience, adaptation, and resilience building, and enhancing the nutritional effectiveness of the government’s food-based safety nets by increasing knowledge and demand for diverse, nutritious, and fortified foods.
“As part of the partnership, the WFP will also offer internship opportunities to students from KU, conduct workshops, learning and sharing events, provide funding support for research on areas of concern and provide global linkages,” said Sawhney.
Parajuli said, “We recognise the significance of this collaboration from the point of view of the strategic contribution that institutions of higher learning make on strengthening scholarship and policy influencing to address some of the most pressing challenges, like climate change impact, gender and inclusion, around hunger and food security.”
{{/usCountry}}Parajuli said, “We recognise the significance of this collaboration from the point of view of the strategic contribution that institutions of higher learning make on strengthening scholarship and policy influencing to address some of the most pressing challenges, like climate change impact, gender and inclusion, around hunger and food security.”
{{/usCountry}}In his address vice-chancellor Sachdeva said, “We are very excited about this partnership between the World Food Programme and Kurukshetra University as this strategic knowledge collaboration will help contribute towards addressing challenges around access to food and nutrition insecurity.”