Bhubaneswar: In a significant push to strengthen research on clean air and climate change, Sri Sri University (SSU) has partnered with Taiwan’s Aerosol Science Research Center (ASRC) at National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU), Asia’s only dedicated aerosol-focused research centre. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will open the way for joint research and publications, faculty and student exchanges, academic programmes, and collaborative bids for national and international research funding, focusing on air quality, aerosol science, sustainability and climate change. A major initiative under the partnership is the proposed Collaborative Centre on Air Quality Research at Sri Sri University, which is envisaged as a hub for interdisciplinary research, innovation, capacity building and international scientific collaboration. The partnership comes at a time when air pollution and fine particulate matter are emerging as critical environmental and public-health concerns. It will bring together the scientific expertise of the two institutions to better understand aerosol sources, formation and transformation, and explore solutions with wider societal and policy impact. “This partnership represents an important step in Sri Sri University’s journey towards becoming a globally connected research university. By bringing together the complementary strengths of both institutions, we aim to undertake impactful research that addresses critical environmental challenges and contributes to informed policy and sustainable development,” said Prof. (Dr.) Kesari Singh, Dean, Research and Development at SSU. “Breathing clean air is an essential component of human rights to a healthy, safe, and sustainable environment. By better understanding the sources, formation and transformation processes of aerosols, the fine particulate matter in the air—especially that formed from various anthropogenic activities—can be better understood, helping to mitigate air pollution, improve air quality and safeguard public health,” said Prof. Chia C. Wang, Director of ASRC, NSYSU. “It is our great honor to develop the collaborative partnership with SSU to address air quality for better environments and a more sustainable planet on behalf of humans and all sentient beings living on this planet.” The agreement adds a new international dimension to the growing research network of Sri Sri University and strengthens its focus on environmental sustainability, scientific collaboration and research that can translate into real-world solutions. Welcoming the partnership, President of Sri Sri University Shri Aadesh Goyal, Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Tej Partap and Director Operations Swami Satyachaitanya Ji expressed their happiness and congratulated the teams on this important and welcome initiative. They appreciated the collaboration as a significant step towards strengthening the global research engagement and advancing meaningful research at Sri Sri University in air quality, environmental sustainability and public well-being.
