Sri Lanka interested in Kerala's Scholar Connect platform, holds online meeting with KSHEC

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 6 (PTI) The Sri Lankan government has indicated an interest in understanding Kerala's scholar connect diaspora engagement model, the KSHEC said on Friday.

In view of the interest expressed by Sri Lanka, a knowledge-sharing session was held during the day between officials of the Presidential Secretariat of Sri Lanka and representatives of the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) regarding the scholar connect platform, a release said.

The platform is a digital initiative developed by KSHEC to connect international scholars, particularly members of the Kerala diaspora, with universities and colleges in the state, it said. The knowledge-sharing session was held online, it added.

The discussions focused on operational aspects of the initiative, including identifying and engaging diaspora scholars, legal and institutional considerations, due diligence processes, and the digital infrastructure required to support such a platform, the release said.

In his introductory remarks, professor Rajan Gurukkal, Vice-Chairman of KSHEC, explained the role and mandate of the Council and highlighted the objectives of the initiative, which seeks to connect international scholars with universities and colleges in Kerala, it said.

Dr Rajan Varghese, member secretary of KSHEC, presented an overview of the higher education landscape in India and outlined key features of Kerala’s higher education system, including its strong academic base and growing emphasis on equity and quality through international collaboration, it said.

A presentation on the Scholar Connect platform was made by Eldho Mathews, Programme Officer (Internationalisation) at KSHEC.

He explained the design and functioning of the platform, including the scholar-matching process, governance mechanisms, and approaches to ensuring quality assurance, the release said. PTI HMP ADB