The Goa University hosted Vice-Chancellor of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University (BSMRMU), Rear Admiral Mohammad Musa, on Thursday, July 6, 2023. His visit was aimed at operationalising the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed between Goa University and the BSMRMU in Dhaka, Bangladesh, during the visit of Prof Menon to the country in November 2022. 

Three Schools of Goa University are identified for academic collaboration with counterparts at the BSMRMU, viz, the School of International and Area Studies (SIAS), the School of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences (SEOAS) and the School of Biological Science and Biotechnology (SBSB) respectively. 

In his distinguished lecture, Rear Admiral Musa underscored the importance for India and Bangladesh to work collectively to address multi-dimensional challenges emanating within the Bay of Bengal region. He highlighted the multiple maritime threats such as climate change, non-traditional maritime issues, dark shipping and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, among others. 

He stressed that BIMSTEC represents an important mechanism for productive and enlightened regional cooperation, strongly advocating the strengthening of the forum, by New Delhi and Bangladesh. 

Prof Harilal B Menon, Vice-Chancellor of Goa University, who chaired the event, emphasised the role of higher education cooperation between the two universities as having an important role in capacity building, enhancing and optimising human resource development and leveraging science and technology, for finding path-breaking and enduring solutions, for both societies. 

Dr Dattesh D Prabhu-Parulekar, Assistant Professor and Programme Director of SIAS, moderated the discussion, and spoke of the vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) announced by Prime Minister Modi for the Indian Ocean Region, and how it could constitute the foundations to vibrant India-Bangladesh bilateral, and sub-regional cooperation.