Kochi: The US Consulate General Chennai and the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Friday to establish an American Corner on the CUSAT campus here.

US Consul General Christopher W. Hodges and CUSAT Registrar V. Meera signed the MoU in the presence of CUSAT Vice Chancellor P.G. Sankaran on the sidelines of a visit by a US education trade delegation of 18 US universities to CUSAT.

The new American Corner at CUSAT will eventually join a network of more than 600 American Spaces spread across India, Asia, and around the globe. The American Spaces programme is a flexible partnership model the US runs globally.

The American Corner will renew the vibrant programmes of an American cultural space in Kerala since the 1970 closure of the USIA cultural centre in Thiruvananthapuram.

“We are delighted to partner with CUSAT to open a new American Corner right here in the heart of Kochi. This faculty and student-led project will enable the people of Kerala to build a closer relationship with the United States, while at the same time, open the door for us to support the amazing work that CUSAT and the Centre for Science in Society is doing to inspire and empower the next generation of STEAM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics] enthusiasts, future scientists, researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs,” said Hodges.

The American Centre Chennai will directly support the new American Corner, which will offer reliable academic and research resources via its eLibraryUSA platform, English language, skills and professional development programmes, media literacy workshops, exchange opportunities with US institutions, and advising services for study in the US.

The American Corner partnership will also serve as a basis to create more opportunities for student exchanges and research partnerships between CUSAT and American universities.

Like all American Corners around the world, the activities at CUSAT will be free of charge and open to all.

The corner is expected to open sometime in 2024.

Workshop held for emerging women screenwriters

Kochi: A five-day workshop on screenwriting, jointly organised by the US Consulate General in Chennai and the Global Media Makers (GMM), for ten emerging women scriptwriters from South India, concluded in Alappuzha.

The workshop was led by US and Indian filmmaker mentors, including Ruth Atkinson, Pamela Ribon and GMM Fellow Triparna Banerjee, as part of the 'screenwriting retreat' organised for the emerging women scriptwriters from February 10-14, the US Consulate General in Chennai said.

The Consulate, in a release said the programme offered the ten participants from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh with a greater knowledge about US film industry's best practices.

Popular Indian filmmakers Mahesh Narayanan, Indu Lakshmi, Sudha Padmaja Francis and GMM Fellow Christo Tomy shared valuable insights from their personal experiences navigating the filmmaking landscape in India, a release said.

GMM is a cultural exchange programme designed to foster relationships between American and international film professionals, and it is supported through a public-private partnership between Los Angeles-based non-profit arts organisation Film Independent and the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).

Award-winning film editor Bina Paul, former artistic director of the International Film Festival of Kerala, collaborated with Film Independent to design the workshop and shortlist the participants.

The retreat was aimed to enhance script writing and cinematic storytelling with a special focus on gender sensitive issues, including portrayal of women in film.

Films are a powerful platform to sensitise audiences around the world on various issues, including women's socio-economic empowerment, Jennifer Bullock, the Public Affairs Officer and diplomat at US Consulate General Chennai, was quoted as saying in the release.

Bullock said this workshop was another step toward creating gender-sensitive scripts that will highlight women's issues to global audiences.

Paul said in a profession where few women get trained, the GMM workshop provided a secure space for young women scriptwriters to explore their ideas and learn the craft.

The mentors encouraged participants to explore their own artistic goals and access helpful resources that serve as professional filmmaker tools for success.

IANS, PTI