Visakhapatnam: In a step to promote industry-institute interaction and foster academic and industrial collaboration, GITAM signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding (CEMS) on Thursday.

Aimed to strengthen technical education and research through collaborative initiatives like workshops, training programmes and internships, the MoU aids faculty and research scholars to gain access to CEMS resources for thesis and research work, and opportunities to explore real-world industrial problems.

The agreement was exchanged by the institution’s Registrar D. Gunasekharan and CEMS chief operating officer Cdr. S. Gopi Krishna in the presence of faculty development director GVR Sharma.

Speaking on the occasion, Cdr Gopi Krishna emphasised the growing importance of India’s maritime sector and the government’s strategic initiatives to enhance capabilities in ports, shipbuilding and ship recycling. He highlighted that CEMS, established by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways in Visakhapatnam, is a high-end skill development facility focused on industry 4.0 technologies. The centre is dedicated to providing professional training and skill enhancement in maritime, infrastructure and manufacturing domains.

Prof. Gunasekharan stated that the institution is committed to strengthening its core engineering disciplines and expressed confidence that the collaboration with CEMS would open new avenues for both students and faculty in emerging domains.

He hoped that the partnership marks a significant step forward in equipping students and faculty with advanced technical skills aligned with industry needs As part of the MoU, CEMS will offer industrial training, internships and industrial visits for students. It will also support faculty development programmes and provide customised courses.