A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has signed between the University of Hyderabad (UoH), School of Life Sciences and Cornell University for an on behalf of College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, New York (USA) under the auspices of the Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) program of the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India on July 15, 2016 at UoH.
The MoA has been signed by Prof. P. Reddanna, Dean, School of Life Sciences, UoH and Prof. Avery August, Professor of Immunology for Cornell, in order to facilitate international academic exchange, to develop academic and scientific relationships, and in support if collaboration research activities established.
The objective of tracing the development of immunology and its intersection with biotechnology, in developing therapeutics and diagnostics that impact both animal and human health, in diagnosing disease and in treating patients. The MoA will enhance the ability of the faculty members at both institutions, which may further allow students to expose to cutting edge facilities and research at Cornell University. Similarly, the students from Cornell University may have access to courses and other activities at UoH through the Study in Program (SIP).
Importance: Therapeutics based on harnessing the immune system is now a $230 billion industry globally. These therapeutics stem from the promise of using the power of the immune system to develop vaccines for infectious disease and cancer, harvesting specificity of antibodies formed for diagnostics and therapeutics purposes. These immunologicals now form the backbone of Biotechnology in the form of diagnostics and therapeutics. This area has matured and holds great promise for the treatment of a variety of diseases including infectious disease, cancer, autoimmune disease and allergies.