(Seychelles News Agency) - With the aim of consolidating cooperation in education with India, the President of Seychelles, Danny Faure, visited two institutions of higher learning in the state of Gujarat on Saturday at the start of his first State visit to India, State House said on Sunday.

Faure visited the Indian Institute of Management where the Seychellois delegation received an overview of the academic programmes offered by the Institute. This includes postgraduate diploma programmes in management and agri-business management, a fellowship programme and a number of executive training programmes.

During the meeting, Faure discussed the possibilities of future areas of cooperation such as exchange programmes between the government of Seychelles and the Institute of Management, State House said. The Institute -- established in 1961-- has a bilateral academic exchange with about 16 countries around the world.

The president of Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, was also welcomed at the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, the first in the world solely dedicated to forensic and investigative sciences. 

President Faure was also welcomed at the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University. (State House) Photo license: CC-BY

In a presentation on the University, the director general of the University, J. M. Vyas, said the institution is the first of its kind. He said the University is aiming to become a world-class institution having various centres of excellence in different areas related to forensic and allied sciences.

Faure also met 18 of the Seychellois police officers presently studying at the University and encouraged them to persevere in their studies. Faure also affirmed that the government of Seychelles will be proposing a Memorandum of Understanding with the University, which will allow for more professionals to be trained in forensic sciences.

The head of state of Seychelles also visited the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust in Ahmedabad. The national monument which is known as the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram is one of the biggest tourist attractions that show how Mahatma Gandhi spent about 12 years of his life in this religious retreat.

Faure also visited the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust in Ahmedabad. (State House) Photo license: CC-BY

He was invited to see the Gandhi Heritage Portal, which has been set up to preserve, protect and disseminate original writings of Gandhiji and toured the museum 'Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya' which has some of Gandhi's personal letters and photographs on display.

At the end of the visits, President Faure met the Governor of Gujarat, Shri Om Prakash Kohli where discussion centred on state affairs. The meeting was followed by a luncheon hosted by the Governor.

Faure is on his first State visit to Indian which started on Friday, June 22 and will end on Wednesday, June 27.