THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Students and faculty across the state’s universities and colleges will soon be able to digitally connect with high-achieving academics of Kerala origin worldwide, thanks to ‘Scholar Connect.’

The goal of the platform, to be launched by the government soon, is to democratise access to world-class mentorship and collaboration.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will officially launch the platform at National Research Conference & Kerala Higher Education Expo 2026 at Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, on Wednesday.

Over 100 diaspora scholars from 14 countries, including academics and professors from premier institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Melbourne, Nanyang Technological University and Delft University of Technology, have registered as mentors.

Operating on a demand-driven model, ‘Scholar Connect’ will allows Kerala-based students and faculty to post specific academic needs. These can range from research design to publication strategies. Registered global experts would then provide targeted guidance.

The platform supports both virtual and in-person engagements through built-in scheduling tools and an AI assistant.

Focus areas include science and technology for societal impact, transnational education networks, and sustainable development.

Registration is completely free for faculty in Kerala’s higher education sector, including research institutions.

An official web portal (scholarconnect.kshec.org) and dedicated mobile apps will also be launched, promising to make global expertise available just a click away for Kerala’s next generation of scholars.