European Union Ambassador to India, Tomasz Kozlowski, invited students and researchers of Odisha to avail various opportunities under the EU-funded programmes like Erasmus+, the Jean Monnet and Marie Sklodowska Curie Actions and collaborative projects under the Horizon 2020 programme.
Addressing a Press meet here on Tuesday, Kozlowski spoke about his first visit to Odisha which aimed to strengthen the partnership between European agencies and the States in India in areas of trade, clean energy, climate change, education and combating terrorism.
Kozlowski said over 75 students and researchers from Odisha have so far benefitted under the EU-funded programmes and they belonged to the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela (NITR), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Bhubaneswar and other institutions. The Ambassador also welcomed scientist and researchers for a Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellowship in the higher educational hubs of the European countries.
He also informed that three students from Odisha have this year started their studies in Europe on a full EU-funded scholarship under the Erasmus + programme across three different European countries.
Mentioning about number of development programmes in Odisha supported by the European Union (EU), Kozlowski said that the EU funded Eco-Cities project, implemented by IFC, has been working closely with Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA), Odisha State Pollution Control Board, Chief Minister's Office and others in supporting climate smart municipal services including e-waste management.
Support has been provided in undertaking the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) transactions for green energy like public street lighting, rooftop solar in Government buildings, low income housing in Bhubaneswar and the Odisha solar park, he added.
He also highlighted effort being made to strengthen the capacities of civil service organisations, local Government to address the fluorosis issue in Baleswar district under the project “Leveraging the Water Quality Networks for effectively connecting the needs of the most vulnerable and at-risk water quality affected rural populations to the National Water Quality Mission (NWQM),” Implemented by India the Natural Resource Economics and Management (INREM) foundation.
He also congratulated Bhubaneswar for being number one Smart City in the country.
He said earlier the EU-India relationship were limited to trade and development but now it has extended to cover security policy, energy, climate change, environment, transport, research and innovation, education as well as people-to-people contact aspects.
