An offer from Harvard University to introduce academic exchange programmes has come as a birthday gift to Jadavpur University (JU), which will step into its 51st year on Tuesday.

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will inaugurate the year-long celebrations, comprising seminars, discussions, workshops and a host of other programmes, to commemorate the golden jubilee of the five-star university.

?This is the first time that we will be signing a memorandum of understanding with a US-based institution,? S.K. Sanyal, pro vice-chancellor (academic), said about the Harvard University offer.

Apart from maintaining the quality of education, the university at the doorstep of the 50-year milestone has also pledged to transcend international borders and extend its academic activities to alleviate poverty.

The initial objective of the university, set up on December 24, 1955, with Bidhan Chandra Roy as its vice-chancellor and Triguna Sen as its rector, was to impart quality education in the field of science and technology.

?Now, we are establishing collaborations with several foreign universities, not only to enable our students to go to those countries but also to attract foreign students to our institution. The vision of our founding fathers was to integrate the best of Oriental ideals of life and thought with all that was best of the West. Our present strategies concerning the foreign collaborations are strictly in line with that vision,? the pro vice-chancellor added.

As part of its year-long celebrations, the university will undertake a string of welfare programmes.

Vocational courses for unemployed youths, rural women and street children; education programmes with industry collaboration; need-based courses and special courses for the mentally and/or physically challenged and drug addicts are on the agenda in the coming years.

Approximately Rs 2 crore will be required for organising these programmes, and the university plans to seek government assistance and also approach its alumni to raise the funds.

Jadavpur University is amongst a handful in the country that has been able to excel in all the three disciplines in which it runs courses and has won the recognition of the central government.

?Our university is one of the most exceptional institutions in the entire country that has achieved excellence in varied fields within a span of 50 years. Believing in our motto ?to know is to grow?, we have undertaken a string of schemes to take forward our journey towards an even brighter future,? Sanyal said.