Indian Institute of Technology Madras is partnering with African-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO) to organise an e-training program on technologies for rural areas and their livelihoods (farm and non-farm) with a focus on creating access to value chains and markets.
The training program, which began on March 22, 2021, will be conducted till April 1, 2021, IIT Madras said in a release.
The event is being organised by Team SIDDHI, the technology and Sustainable Development platform of IIT Madras with an emphasis on social relevance and global impact.
Select technologies, solutions and approaches developed by IIT Madras in collaboration with its partner institutions would be showcased during the program.
The course is being held for the benefit of middle and senior-level executives from government departments, ministries, and agriculture engineers and scientists engaged in policy formulation, implementation, planning and appraisals.
The event can be viewed on the SIDDHI-IIT Madras YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUFTWSn-mqfTqJjAkGh2Gog
Addressing the inaugural session held on Monday, AARDO Secretary-General Manoj Nardeosingh said, “Having 125 participants from 25 countries is very encouraging and this is a testimony to the importance of transferring appropriate technologies to the rural areas of the countries from where the participants are coming from.”
“We are finalising an MoU to connect AARDO and IIT Madras as well as RuTAG and other institutional networks to leverage and capitalise on their already-developed synergy,” he added.
“We need to speed up and scale up innovations, disruptive as well as contemporary affordable technologies in AARDO Member countries so that we can witness real rural transformation. The immense scope and potential for development and transfer of innovative affordable technologies and their adaptability have to be fully tapped,” added Nardeosingh.
Delivering a lecture on ‘IITM’s contribution to Rural Development and Social Entrepreneurship,’ IIT Madras Director Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi said, “Rural areas in Asia and Africa are faced with very different types of problems. There is a good amount of knowledge among the rural population on what needs to be done.”
He added, “No one solution can be applied across continents and geographies. The best thing one can do is share experience and knowledge. This training program is a step in that direction.”
