TISS partners with University College Cork to study rural development

MUMBAI: University College Cork ( UCC) and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai ( TISS) have embarked on a partnership to integrate their research and training efforts in the field of social sciences and rural development. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed by both universities that will pave the way for in-depth and on-field collaborative research and exchange of both faculty and students between the institutes.

UCC students undertaking a Bachelor’s degree and in their third year will have the opportunity to go on a 6-month on-field internship programme to study and lend active support in areas like food security, water supply, drainage, cooperative farming, and the role of women in the development of rural communities. The partnership extends beyond social sciences to also include human resource management and labour relations disciplines.

The objective is to enable faculty and students to gain wider exposure through the various exchange programmes that will be initiated.

"This collaboration will not only provide an excellent opportunity for students to gain invaluable on-the-field experience but also allow them to give support to activities that are vital to these rural communities. Our aim will be to place up to four students at the TISS Tuljapur campus from 2016,” said Michael Murphy, president, University College Cork.

“At TISS, our vision is to continually respond to changing social realities through the development and application of knowledge and we are confident the signing of this MOU will pave the way towards collaborative research and exchange of both faculty and students between our institutes,” said Madhushree Sekher, chairperson, international relations office, TISS.