Representatives of the state expressed a desire to implement good practices followed by the Mining University with regards to training of engineers.
A delegation from the Indian state Gujarat visited the Mining University in St. Petersburg on September 17. Among the visitors were seen heads of industrial, agricultural, oil-producing enterprises as well as representatives of government agencies and higher educational institutions.
Dr. Sanjay Prasad, Chief Secretary of the Gujarat Administration, told that the state is located on the coast of the Arabian Sea, and that Surat, one of its largest cities, is known as the diamond capital of the planet. 10,000 businesses here, in Surat, account for 80% of the global production of these precious stones.
The most important components of the region's economy are oil and gas, chemical and textile industries, pharmaceuticals, salt and soda manufacturing and a few others. Jamnagar, for example, is home to India's largest oil-refining and petrochemical facilities. In general, the state is one of the leaders of the Indian economy. It shows the highest growth rates of GDP with an average of 10% per year, and its share in the country’s output equals 16%.
As Prasad Sanjay says, "We need to train as many qualified specialists as possible to ensure steady development of our state. In particular we need specialists in extraction and processing. That is why we would like to have a branch of the Mining University in Gujarat. Another option would be setting up our own educational institution with the assistance of scientists and teachers from Saint-Petersburg."
Prasad Sanjay suggested that a cooperation agreement should be issued and then signed during the course of the next meeting. In turn, Dr. Himanshu Aniruddha Pandya, the Principal of the Gujarat University, noted that at the initial stage of partnership, the parties could exchange students for development of academic mobility.
At the end of the meeting, the management of the Mining University received an invitation to a major business summit "Vibrant Gujarat", which will be held in January next year. The event traditionally brings together heads of states and governments, CEOs of the biggest global corporations, leaders of non-governmental organizations and scientists from all over the world.
