Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the South Asia Foundation ("SAF") and the School of Visual Art, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, Pakistan.
This MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MoU) dated July 16, 2007 between the South Asia Foundation ("SAF") and the School of Visual Art, Beaconhouse National University, sets forth the agreements reached between the parties relating to the setting up of the SAF Madanjeet Singh Group Scholarships at the School of Visual Arts (BNU). This MoU is drawn up further to various meetings, discussions, and correspondence between the Founder of SAF, Mr. Madanjeet Singh, on the one hand, and Prof. Salima Hashmi. Dean, the School of Visual Arts (BNU), Lahore, Pakistan.
The decisions and other agreements reached between the parties to date are set forth below:
1. The School of Visual Arts at BNU, Lahore was set up in 2003, with a view to promote new thinking in art and design education in the region. The guiding principle is a commitment to academic freedom and diversity, intellectuai and artistic inquiry and a fresh pedagogical vision.
The curriculum not only incorporates traditional areas of fine art and design education but also incorporates emergent technologies available as tools for visual education.
2. The first batch of SAF Madanjeet Singh Group Scholarships were offered by the School of Visual Arts since in 2003. The students, both girls and boys, were hosted and educated from all the eight SAARC countries. In doing so it has become instrumental in bringing together nascent, creative talent of South Asia and provided it with the most up to date art and design education.
The first batch of ten SAF Madanjeet Singh students graduated with professional BFA degrees in June 2007. Of these five were awarded distinctions by the external examiners, a record for any single group of art students in Pakistan.
3. SAF has, over the years, made a valuable contribution to broadening SAF Madanjeet Singh Group Scholarships by granting substantial annual funds, to cover tuition, living, and travel expenses for students from each of the eight SAARC countries. SAF, stipulates the gender equity principle in the award of scholarships, underlining the need to provide equal opportunity to women and men in order to promote social diversity. SAF has enabled the School of Visual Arts (BNU) to promote regional cooperation among youth in the field of art education and among artists of the South Asian region.
4. In recognition of the excellent work being done at the School of Visual Art (BNU), SAF has decided to accord the status of an institute of excellence and proposes to increase the funding of the group scholarship scheme in line with the other institutions of excellence funded by SAF.
Financial contribution of SAF
5. SAF undertakes to contribute a total of US $ 1,000,000/- (one million United States dollars) towards group scholarships spread over a period of five years and beyond.
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6. The first instalment of the aforesaid contribution will not be less than US $ 200,000/- (two hundred thousand United States dollars). It will be paid by SAF through SAF-Pakistan chapter account before the academic year of the BNU commences.
7. The annual SAF group scholarships given by the School of Visual Art (BNU) will not be less than 16 (sixteen students) based on gender equality and additional scholarships will offered from the available funds. The cost of all group scholarships will be fully covered by School of Visual Art (BNU), including travel, boarding and lodging, tuition fees, expenditure incurred on increasing cost of living and extra curricula activities, which will be funded and adjusted within the annual SAF grant.
8. Any funds not utilized during the year will be carried over and adjusted against the cost of group scholarships for the next year.
9. The BNU shall submit an annual audit report on the SAF Madanjeet Singh Group Scholarships to SAF Governing Council. Annual instalments will be paid on the receipt of auditor's report of the previous year, giving detailed expenditure incurred on Group Scholarships.
10. lt is stipulated that SAF shall discontinue the funding in case the School of Visual Art (BNU), fails to fully comply with the provisions of this agreement and SAF's cardinal objective of promoting regional cooperation.
11. ln conformity with the SAF Governing Council resolution adopted in 2002 at Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France, SAF shall not fund any project without at least a matching contribution in cash or kind against SAF's financial assistance.
Signed:
Prof. Salima Hashmi
Dean, School of Visual Art, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, Pakistan.
Prof. Sartaj Aziz
Vice Chancellor, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, Pakistan.
Ambassador Madanjeet Singh
Founder, South Asia Foundation (SAF), Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France.
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