Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) and University of Jaffna (UoJ) jointly secured Norwegian Partnership Programme for Global Academic Cooperation (NORPART) Grant up to NOK 4.7 million (~ 85 million LKR) over the period of five years (2017 Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) and University of Jaffna (UoJ) jointly secured Norwegian Partnership Programme for Global Academic Cooperation (NORPART) Grant up to NOK 4.7 million (~ 85 million LKR) over the period of five years (2017 – 2021) under the theme of ‘Higher Education and Research collaboration on Nanomaterials for Clean Energy Technologies (HRNCET)’. In addition, Royal Norwegian Embassy in Sri Lanka has funded HVL 6.2 million Norwegian Kroners (LKR 112 million) over a period of three years (2017-2019) for a project on Capacity Building and Establishment of a Research Consortium in Nanomaterials for Clean Energy Technologies. The main objective of the project is to strengthen the collaboration between the partner institutions (Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Universities of Adger and Bergen, Norway, Coimbatore Institute of Technology (CIT), India and University of Peradeniya) in educational and research activities, and implement student and staff mobility within the field of clean energy technologies. The main objective of the project funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy is to strengthen the existing collaboration between the partner institutions in the field of nanomaterials for energy technologies and to establish a clean energy consortium that includes private enterprises from Norway and Sri Lanka. In March 2017, a high level delegation from the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL), including the Vice Chancellor of HVL visited and signed a MOU and Collaborative agreement with the University of Jaffna. Kumaravadivel represented the University Grant Commission and the Deputy Ambassador Knut Nyflot represented the Royal Norwegian Embassy at the inaugural function along with academics, students and well-wishers. On 07.07.2017, the project coordinators Prof.P.Ravirajan, and Prof. Dhayalan Velauthapillai signed an Institutional Technical Assistance Contract on Capacity Building and Establishment of a Research Consortium in Nanomaterials for Clean Energy Technologies in relation to above project at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo in the presence of the Norwegian Ambassador, His Excellency Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther. This collaborative initiative will be funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway as part of its development cooperation programme.
