St Xavier’s College, Calcutta, is set to forge its first partnership with a foreign university.

The college signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University of Manitoba, Canada, on Monday for educational and academic exchange. The partnership will be in place between 12 and 18 months, but the institutions are eager to start faculty exchange immediately.

The college and the university are looking at partnerships in agriculture, food science — especially in plant biotechnology, as well as food, medical and industrial microbiology — and in other areas like information technology, computer science and humanities.

“We will need to grow 75 per cent more food by 2050 on the same plot that we have today. The same technology will not be appropriate for all countries. More trained people will be needed. Partnerships like this will help us understand the needs of other countries better,” said Michael Trevan, the dean of the faculty of agriculture and food sciences at the university.

The educational and academic exchanges will include course development, joint research, lecture and training and exchange of students and research material at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

“We now have to work out the details of the MoU,” said Father P.C. Mathew, the principal of the college. “We are considering similar partnerships with other foreign universities as well.”