AINU is envisaged as an association of prestigious institutes from India and ASEAN

The ASEAN-India Network of Universities (AINU), announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018, was formally launched on Monday.

AINU will help in developing a knowledge hub in the region by strengthening linkages among universities of India and ASEAN Member States, Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh said while launching the initiative along with ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi and Nalanda University Vice-Chancellor Sunaina Singh in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The AINU was announced by Prime Minister Modi at the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in 2018, as a consortium of premier institutes from India and ASEAN that would build a core network of knowledge capital through partnerships among academic and research institutions in India and ASEAN member states, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said on Saturday.

It is being implemented by Nalanda University and ASEAN University Network from India and ASEAN respectively.

"Launched the ASEAN-India Network of Universities alongwith Secretary General of @ASEAN, VC of @nalanda_univ and PRs of ASEAN Member States. AINU will help in developing a knowledge hub in the region by strengthening linkages among universities of India and ASEAN Member States," the MoS External Affairs tweeted.

According to Nalanda University, the initiative is invested in framing and strengthening the paradigms of knowledge production in order to engage with region-specific concerns. "This collaboration will ensure capacity building and creation of regional thought leaders from the Asia- Pacific in the emerging multi-polar world," the university says on its website.

The objective of AINU is to facilitate and sustain the activities of faculty exchange, student exchange and cotutelle, thus to realize the larger goal of production and dissemination of knowledge, competence and knowhow, and enable people-to-people interaction among the participating institutions.

The Minister of State for External Affairs is on a two-day visit to Indonesia.
After reaching Jakarta on Sunday evening, he interacted with the Indian community and thanked them for their hospitality.

"Had the pleasure to interact with the Indian Diaspora in Jakarta this evening. Gratitude to the Indian community for their warmth and affection," the Minister wrote on Twitter.

During the visit, he will also hold discussions with ASEAN on strengthening ASEAN-India relations including enhancing educational and people-to-people connectivity, forging institutional linkages and taking forward ASEAN-India Partnership as both sides enter into the fourth decade of this partnership, the MEA said.

This is MoS Singh's first visit to Indonesia and the ASEAN Secretariat.