MSU, Iowa University in research deal

VADODARA: MS University and Iowa State University (ISU) will revive their ties after a gap of four years and join hands for a series of academic activities and research projects. MSU's Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) department on Monday hosted Professor Peter Martin from ISU, who is exploring ways for joint projects that ISU and MSU can take up.
He is also trying to revive collaborative exchange programme that ISU and MSU's HDFS department at the Faculty of Family and Community Sciences had earlier conducted. The programme was funded by Ford Foundation under which there was continuous exchange of students and faculties from both the universities.
Martin and faculties from HDFS department will also share the curriculum on training students. "We will be comparing the syllabus and try to evolve a synergised content. I like few elements in the course taught here which I would want to include in my university," he said.
Martin also feels that there are areas where HDFS department its Iowa counterpart can do collaborative research work. "Research work on early childhood, family studies, life span and ageing problems can be done in jointly," said Martin, who is the the Nehru chairperson at HDFS.
Martin is working in the area of geriatric research and had visited HDFS department in 2002. He interacted with a few senior citizens and their families in rural areas.
"I am exploring possibility of doing a comparative study on older people in rural areas across different countries and I will be interacting with people from Gujarat for the same," he said.