Andhra University delegation in U.S. for centenary outreach; MoU with University of Houston on the table

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Andhra University Vice-Chancellor G.P. Raja Sekhar and his team present a memento to University of Houston President Renu Khator in Houston. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A delegation from Andhra University led by Vice-Chancellor G.P. Raja Sekhar has begun a series of engagements in the United States as part of the university’s centenary outreach. A final meeting is scheduled at Fords, New Jersey, on Saturday (October 17, 2026).

The Andhra University Alumni Association of North America organised the first celebration at Sugar Land, Texas, on October 10. About 200 alumni attended the programme, and 50 were felicitated. Mr. Raja Sekhar was the chief guest. S. Paul Douglas, Dean of International Affairs, and Prashant Kumar Sona, Consul at the Consulate General of India, Houston, were the guests of honour. The Vice-Chancellor urged alumni to support mentoring, institutional partnerships and endowments. Responding to questions on donation accountability, he said a draft endowment policy would be released soon. Participants discussed compliance with Indian rules on foreign contributions and the possibility of U.S. tax-exempt status for donations.

Mr. Raja Sekhar and Mr. Douglas met Renu Khator, President of the University of Houston, and Ramanan Krishnamoorti, Vice-President for Energy and Innovation, to discuss a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Priority areas are superconductivity, energy security, meteorology and oceanography, advanced materials and an AI Systems Centre of Excellence with high-performance computing and 5G technologies. The delegation met D.C. Manjunath, Consul General of India in Houston, to discuss prioritising MoUs with American universities.

The delegation left for Penn State University on Thursday and has a meeting there on Friday. The New Jersey gathering will include discussions on artificial intelligence in higher education and on organising alumni contributions.

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