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Savitribai Phule Pune University

At the hybrid signing ceremony, Dr Anagha Tambe was joined online by colleagues from SPPU, including Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Parag Kalkar; Professor Devidas Golhar, Director of the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Linkages (CIIL); Professor Raj

The longstanding collaboration between the Sussex Centre for International Education (CIE) and Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), India, has been strengthened through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions. The agreement was signed during the visit of Dr Anagha Tambe, Director of Women and Gender Studies at SPPU, to the University of Sussex. Her visit focused on the development of joint research on the nexus of gender, higher education and employment that will have relevance for societies around the world. She also delivered a keynote lecture for the CIE’s “Education for Progressive Futures” event, highlighting the shared research interests that underpin the partnership.

The signing ceremony was attended by senior leaders and academic colleagues from both universities, reflecting the strategic importance of the partnership. Representing Sussex were Professor Robin Banerjee, Pro Vice Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement, Professor Simon Thompson, Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement, and colleagues from the Centre for International Education and the School of Education and Social Work. Joining online from SPPU were Professor Parag Kalkar, Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor Devidas Golhar, Director of the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Linkages (CIIL), Professor Rajeshwari Deshpande, Director of the School of Social Sciences, and colleagues from the Department of Women and Gender Studies.

During the signing ceremony, Professor Robin Banerjee reflected on the shared commitment of both universities to international collaboration and interdisciplinary research, underpinned by a vision of higher education as a space for innovative thinking and action in the pursuit of greater equity. Professor Parag Kalkar welcomed the opportunity to deepen the existing partnership, while Professor Rajeshwari Deshpande highlighted the strong alignment between the two institutions' research priorities and SPPU's commitment to international collaboration.

The MoU provides a framework for building on established research links and creating new opportunities for collaborative research and postgraduate teaching in the years ahead.