Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The University of Kashmir and the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly launch a Diploma Programme in Traditional and Professional Calligraphy, a move aimed at bringing skill-based training in the region’s calligraphic heritage into a structured academic framework.
The agreement was formalised in Srinagar on September 25 by KU Registrar Prof. Naseer Iqbal and JKAACL Secretary Smt. Harvinder Kour, in the presence of senior officials and academic functionaries from both institutions. The programme will combine classroom instruction with hands-on cultural training, drawing on JKAACL’s institutional expertise in preserving and promoting traditional art forms.
Speaking at the signing, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nilofer Khan said the initiative would place traditional calligraphic practice within a structured academic and skill-development setting while opening new avenues for professional training. Principal Secretary to the Department of Culture, Shri B. M. Sharma, called such collaborations lasting in their impact and indicated the department would look for further areas of partnership with the University going forward.
Dean Academic Affairs Prof. Shariefuddin Pirzada and Registrar Prof. Naseer Iqbal both underlined the academic value of the tie-up, noting that it would give students structured training while linking the University’s academic machinery with JKAACL’s cultural resources and craft expertise.
The diploma will run through KU’s Shri Pran Krishan Kaul Institute of Music and Fine Arts, in partnership with JKAACL. It is a two-year programme with an intake capped at 10 students per session, open to candidates who have cleared Class 12 or an equivalent qualification. Each academic year will be split between three months of instruction at IMFA and the remaining period devoted to traditional calligraphy training at JKAACL’s premises.
Under the arrangement, the University will handle curriculum design, examinations, academic oversight and certification, while JKAACL will supply faculty, infrastructure, logistical backing and a monthly stipend or honorarium for enrolled students under its own rules. The final certificate will be issued by the University through its Controller of Examinations, recognising the joint role played by IMFA and JKAACL in delivering the course.
The ceremony was also attended by Dr. Habibullah Shah, Principal of IMFA; Dr. Ashfaq Zarri, Special Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor; Ideel Saleem, Additional Secretary at JKAACL; and other officials representing both institutions.
