Awantipora, Oct 27: The Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the YUVA Innovation Hub of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu under Mission YUVA to strengthen entrepreneurship and innovation and promote youth-led enterprises across J&K.
The MoU was signed by the CIED–IUST Foundation at the IUST Innovation Campus on Tuesday, marking a step towards strengthening institutional collaboration and expanding opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs in the Union Territory.
Speaking on the occasion, Vivek Aggarwal, IAS, Director of Employment and Managing Director, Mission YUVA, J&K, appreciated IUST’s initiatives to promote entrepreneurship and innovation. He expressed confidence that the collaboration would advance Mission YUVA’s objectives by nurturing entrepreneurial aspirations among young people and supporting the development of sustainable enterprises.
Prof. Parvez Ahmad Mir, CEO of the CIED–IUST Foundation, highlighted the university’s sustained efforts to foster an entrepreneurial culture through institutional support, capacity building and startup development.
He also noted that IUST had secured a four-star rating under the Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) framework for three consecutive years, reflecting its continued commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship.
The MoU is expected to facilitate knowledge exchange, mentorship, capacity building and institutional support for aspiring entrepreneurs. It will also create opportunities to connect the university’s entrepreneurship ecosystem with Mission YUVA’s initiatives for youth empowerment and enterprise creation.
The collaboration aims to strengthen support mechanisms for young entrepreneurs and promote innovation-driven ventures, contributing to employment generation and sustainable economic growth in J&K.
The programme featured a presentation outlining the objectives and scope of the collaboration, along with an overview of the achievements of the CIED–IUST Foundation.
A compilation highlighting the foundation’s triple-certification achievements was presented during the event. A cake-cutting ceremony was also held to commemorate IUST’s continued four-star rating under the IIC framework.
Coordinators of the CIED–IUST Foundation were felicitated for their contributions to advancing the university’s entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives.
The programme was attended by Sameer Wazir, Finance Officer, IUST; Altaf Hussain Shalla, Principal, Government Polytechnic College, IUST; Dr G. N. Itoo, Director, Centre for Good Governance and Policy Analysis, IUST; Dr Peer Bilal, Director, DIQA; Dr Ruheela Hassan, Dean Outreach; Dr Monisa Qadiri, Dean Students; and Dr Basharat N. Dar, Coordinator, EDC/CPMSB/STEM.
CIED coordinators, representatives of IIM Jammu, faculty members, entrepreneurs, research scholars and students also participated in the event.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Shameem Iqbal Nahvi, who acknowledged the contributions of the dignitaries, institutional representatives and participants.
The MoU is expected to strengthen institutional partnerships and create further opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship and employment generation across Jammu and Kashmir.
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