With an aim to strengthen international collaborations and promote academic research, the Ministry of Ayush has formally announced the setting up of an Ayurveda Academic Chair based at Western Sydney University's NICM Health Research Institute, for a tenure period of three years. Associate Professor and Head (Department of Kaumarabhritya) All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, Dr Rajagopala S, has been selected for the post of Academic Chair in Ayurvedic Science at Western Sydney University, Australia.

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush met the Australian delegation led by Professor Barney Glover, Vice-Chancellor and President, of Western Sydney University and others.

On the occasion, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush said, "This is a great step, and I am sure that this chair will strengthen our collaborations in promoting academic and collaborative research activities in Australia. This will also help in translating the research outcomes to integrate it with the public health care delivery system to have credible evidence of our scientific practices."

Professor Barney Glover, Vice-Chancellor and President, of Western Sydney University acknowledged that this collaboration would help in bringing together western medicine and Ayurvedic Science. "The Academic Chair will undertake academic and collaborative research activities in Ayurveda, including herbal medicine and yoga, as well as design academic standards, short-term/medium-term courses, and educational guidelines. It will provide academic leadership in demonstrating and fostering excellence in teaching, research and policy development related to Ayurveda, within the robust Australian regulatory framework, and develop strategies to promote the translation and integration of evidence-based Ayurveda medicines into conventional healthcare," read a statement by the Ministry of AYUSH on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Ayush has taken concerted efforts for promoting and positioning Ayurveda and Yoga as the soft power of India. To facilitate the same, a Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) has been signed for Ayush Chair with 16 foreign countries. MoA has also developed a Central Sector Scheme for the promotion of International Cooperation (IC Scheme) with the mandate to promote and strengthen awareness about Ayush Systems of Medicine, to facilitate the international promotion, development and recognition of Ayush Systems in foreign countries and to support international exchange of experts.

Pramod Kumar Pathak, Special Secretary, Dr Manoj Nesari, Advisor (Ayurveda), Prof. Tanuja Nesari, Director, AIIA, Dr Vidyarthi Director MoA, Dr Rajagopala S and other officials from MoA along with Paramita Tripathi, Joint Secretary (Oceania), Ministry of External Affairs were present on this occasion.

Image courtesy: PIB