To ensure enhanced mental health access for students and faculty, the National Institute of Technology, Calicut (NIT-C) and the Kozhikode- based Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS), an autonomous institution under the State government, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Monday.
The initiative is part of the Centre’s directive to promote mental health and well-being in higher education institutions. The collaboration could result in the comprehensive well-being of students, faculty and community at the NIT-C, said NIT-C Director Prasad Krishna, during the signing of the MoU.
He added that the partnership would help study mental health issues among students, identify the reasons that lead to suicide among students and study the mental stress they experience.
The MoU was inked by G.K. Rajanikant, Dean, Students’ Welfare, and P.K. Anish, Director-in-charge and assistant professor (Psychiatry), IMHANS.
The MoU, a press release said, aimed at promoting joint collaborative research on mental health and neurosciences by experts of both institutions. It will focus on conducting training and outreach programmes on mental health awareness. Policy-making for the benefit of students, faculty and the NIT-C community as a whole was also the key objective of the MoU, it said.
According to the MoU, the cooperation will facilitate the experts from both institutions to work towards mental wellness. The initiative aims at sharing knowledge in areas such as research, academics, and training.
Mr. Krishna also suggested that the IMHANS authorities begin the joint effort with intense training for faculty members to help them understand the signs and symptoms of mental health issues among students. Students and faculty members could be made wellness ambassadors with proper training to avoid different sorts of emotional and mental health issues in the community, he said, while mentioning the role of gaming and loss of money due to gaming among students.
The collaboration is expected to enable the exchange of faculty, scientists and postgraduate students and research scholars for mutual benefits. The MoU will also encourage the undertaking of joint research projects, surveys and studies on mental health-related topics.
As part of the MoU, the two institutes will jointly organise seminars, workshops, and conferences to facilitate knowledge sharing and interdisciplinary dialogue between NIT-C and IMHANS faculty members, researchers, and students.
