Calcutta, Nov. 26: Calcutta University and Singapore’s Institute of South Asian Studies will together develop academic collaborations and exchange students and scholars.

CU officials, who are now in Singapore, today signed a memorandum of understanding with the institute.

As part of the pact, the two institutions will conduct joint seminars, workshops and research and publish the works.

The thrust will be, by and large, on common issues like the resurgence of South Asia. “The collaborative researches that are going to follow will strengthen India’s historical connections with South Asia,” Suranjan Das, CU’s pro-vice-chancellor, academic affairs, said from Singapore.

The Peace Studies Group of CU’s history department will be the main participant in the collaborative activities but researchers and teachers of subjects like political science, economics and sociology will also contribute.

“The agreement is unique because the institute had so far been working only with corporate agencies and on nation-building problems,” Das said.