Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Jorhat, has developed an extensive network of academic and research collaborations with national and international universities, research institutes, scientific organisations, government agencies and specialised institutions. These collaborations, formalised through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), Memoranda of Agreement (MoAs) and Letters of Agreement (LoAs), are intended to strengthen the University's capabilities in education, research, technology development, human resource development, innovation and agricultural extension.
The collaborations encompass a broad spectrum of disciplines, including crop improvement, plant biotechnology, horticulture, agricultural engineering, natural resource management, veterinary sciences, food technology, climate-resilient agriculture, agricultural economics and rural development.
An important early collaboration was established with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia, in 2007, focusing on collaborative research and training of students and researchers. The University entered into an MoU with Karatina University, Kenya, in 2014 to promote training and research in tea husbandry and technology. Another agreement with Southern Cross University in 2015 provided for collaborative research involving doctoral scholars.
AAU's collaboration with the Agricultural University of Athens, Greece, initiated in 2018, envisaged educational and scientific exchange and cooperation in agricultural sciences. An agreement with Massey University, New Zealand, signed in April 2025, provides a framework for potential academic and scientific cooperation.
The University has also collaborated with internationally recognised agricultural research organisations, including the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). The agreements with IRRI cover improved postharvest mechanisation, reduction of postharvest losses, strengthening of seed supply systems, development of high-zinc rice varieties and participation in global rice phenomics research. The collaboration with ICRISAT, formalised in March 2024, focuses on research for development, training and crop improvement.
The MoU with Central Agricultural University, Imphal, signed in September 2015, provides for cooperation in research and academic activities. The agreement with Anand Agricultural University, Gujarat, signed in January 2017, covers student and faculty exchange, collaborative research, extension education, exchange of software and expertise in e-governance, and joint staff development programmes.
AAU's collaboration with Dr. Y.S.R. Horticultural University, Andhra Pradesh, signed in June 2022, focuses on student training and quality postgraduate research in advanced areas of horticulture and allied sciences. Similarly, the agreement with Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, signed in May 2023, provides for academic and research cooperation, including student exchange through sandwich or twinning postgraduate research programmes.
The University has also entered into agreements with Bihar Agricultural University, University of Jammu, Assam down town University, The Assam Kaziranga University and Tezpur University, among others. These collaborations cover agricultural education and training, joint research, academic cooperation, and research projects in areas of mutual interest.
The collaboration with Tezpur University, signed in May 2025, is particularly relevant to interdisciplinary research, with the register identifying a BIRAC-funded project relating to the development of climate-resilient technology using indigenous plant resources.
In crop science, AAU has collaborated with the ICAR-National Rice Research Institute (NRRI), Cuttack, and the ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR), Hyderabad. The agreement with NRRI, signed in July 2023, provides for joint scientific research, exchange of research materials, publications and scientific information. The agreement with IIRR, signed in February 2024, supports student training and postgraduate research.
AAU's collaborations with the ICAR-Central Citrus Research Institute, Nagpur, ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar, and ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana are relevant to horticultural research, germplasm resources, postgraduate education and specialised research training.
The University has also developed institutional linkages with the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, including its Dhemaji centre, for the exchange of faculty, germplasm, breeding materials, scientific literature, research information and methodologies.
Other important collaborative institutions include the ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute, ICAR-National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering and Technology, ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, ICAR-National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research, and ICAR-National Research Centre on Mithun.
These agreements address research areas such as fodder evaluation, crop and animal genetic resources, fibre technologies, agricultural economics, postgraduate research guidance and livestock research.
AAU has also collaborated with ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institutes (ATARIs) for training and capacity development of Subject Matter Specialists, Farm Managers and extension personnel. These initiatives include specially designed programmes under the University's Open and Distance Learning and Human Resource Development activities.
An agreement with CSIR in April 2025 identifies joint research, academic activities and floriculture-related work as areas of cooperation. Subsequently, a multi-institutional MoU involving CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST), Jorhat, and 17 other institutions of the North Eastern region was signed in March 2026 under the RICH-NE initiative, with collaborative research and development identified as its principal objective.
The University has also collaborated with the North East Space Applications Centre (NESAC), North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
Additional partnerships with the Rain Forest Research Institute, Jorhat, North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk Medicine Research, Pasighat, and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) provide avenues for scientific cooperation in specialised fields. The agreements with TERI and ReNew Energy also identify carbon finance and plantation-related carbon development as collaborative activities.
The agreements recorded in the register include projects on resistance to Banana Bunchy Top Virus, development of disease-resistant banana cultivars, application of RNA interference technology, improvement of nutritional quality in rice, and molecular approaches to management of crop diseases. Other research projects cover animal health, livestock productivity, diagnostics and disease management.
Collaboration with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has supported agrometeorological advisory activities through the establishment and operation of Agromet Field Units. A subsequent agreement signed in February 2024 relates to installation of an X-band polarimetric Doppler weather radar.
The University has also collaborated with Bioversity International on agricultural biodiversity conservation and utilisation, and with the Assam State Biodiversity Board and other organisations working in biodiversity and natural resource management.
The agreement with the Indian Institute of Packaging, Kolkata Centre, signed in June 2025, provides for collaboration in incubation, certificate courses, project work, skill development, joint workshops and student exchange. The partnership is particularly relevant to strengthening academic training and applied research in packaging technology and related areas.
Collaborations with the Indian Jute Industries' Research Association, Central Wool Development Board, ICAR-National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering and Technology, and Central Muga Eri Research and Training Institute support research and technology development in natural fibres, innovative fibre-based products and sericulture.
The University's agreements with the Agriculture Skill Council of India are directed towards skill-oriented training, competency development, assessment and certification. AAU has also collaborated with educational institutions such as Sarupathar College for specialised certificate and diploma programmes in tea technology, fish farming and related agricultural activities.
The academic and research collaborations recorded in the consolidated register are directed towards strengthening several important institutional functions of AAU. These include facilitating postgraduate and doctoral research, providing specialised training, enabling exchange of students and faculty, undertaking collaborative research projects, sharing germplasm and scientific information, promoting interdisciplinary investigations and enhancing scientific and technical capabilities.
The agreements also provide frameworks for linking university research with national research priorities, regional agricultural challenges and the needs of farmers and other stakeholders. Partnerships with research organisations, academic institutions and technology-oriented agencies can contribute to translating scientific findings into improved technologies, management practices, training programmes and knowledge resources.
The extensive network of national and international academic and research collaborations reflects Assam Agricultural University's institutional commitment to advancing agricultural education, scientific research, human resource development and technology-oriented innovation. Partnerships with agricultural universities, ICAR institutes, CSIR laboratories, international research organisations and specialised scientific institutions provide an important framework for collaborative research and capacity development.
By promoting multidisciplinary cooperation across crop sciences, horticulture, biotechnology, agricultural engineering, food technology, natural resource management and allied disciplines, these institutional arrangements support AAU's broader mandate of generating and disseminating scientific knowledge for agricultural development.
Going forward, systematic monitoring of collaborative activities, documentation of research outputs, joint supervision of postgraduate students, faculty and student exchanges, externally funded research projects and technology development outcomes would help the University evaluate the effectiveness of individual partnerships and derive greater institutional benefits from its academic and research collaboration network.