According to a press release here on Tuesday, the MoU was signed in Chennai on Monday by Vice-Chancellor V. Balamohandas and Samuel J.K. Abraham, Director of NCRM in the presence of Counsul-General of Japan Kazuo Minagawa.

The MoU provides for collaborative research in the area of stem cell research and other advanced aspects of bio-technology.

University coordinator of bio-technology K.R.S. Sambasiva Rao and N. Krishna Swamy, Secretary General of Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry were also present on the occasion.

The NCRM is an Indo-Japanese collaborative institute working on basic research, transnational research and clinical applications of stem-cells and progenitor cells in various specialties of medicine. The institute was having collaborative research with many research institutions and universities in Japan.

The Counsul-General of Japan said the MoU was a beginning of a new saga of collaborative research between Acharya Nagarjuna University and Japanese universities.

He outlined the importance of linkage between universities, research institutes and industry.

Mr. Balamohandas, who presided over the meeting invited the Consul-General of Japan to visit Acharya Nagarjuna University.