Cosmos Malabaricus Project

April 26, 2022

Kerala has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Netherlands for a project that is named ‘Cosmos Malabaricus.’ This project will be helping to further illustrate Kerala’s history in the 18th century.

Overview:

The state will also be collaborating with the Netherlands to establish paint academies in Malappuram and Kollam.
The agreements have been signed in the presence of Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Marten van den Berg, the Netherlands’ Ambassador to India.

Implementation of the project

This project is being implemented by the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) which comes under the workings of the Department of Higher Education, the University of Leiden, and the National Archives of the Netherlands.

Time required to complete this project

This project will be completed in six years’ time.

What will the project be dealing with?

This project will be dealing with the 18^th-century Dutch documents on Malabar that are considered to be the most extensive information source about the period in Kerala between the years 1643 to 1852. The documents have been written in the classical Dutch language and are available in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Netherlands.

Opportunity to pursue Master of Arts programmes

As part of this project, the students from Kerala will receive opportunities to pursue Master of Arts programmes at Leiden University, while students from the Netherlands will be allowed to pursue an internship at the KCHR. Also, the Leiden University and KCHR will be organizing a two-week summer school each year on the topic related to the history of Kerala.

Aim of the project

The project has the aim of making the Dutch archival material that is digitized made accessible to audiences, including Indian and international scholars as well as the people of Kerala. The materials will be translated and summaries will be publicized in English. The materials will help in understanding the social, political, cultural, and economic history of Kerala.

Paint academy establishment

The MoU for establishing the paint academy has been signed by AkzoNobel India Limited, the Indian leading chemical and paint company subsidiary in the Netherlands, and ASAP (Additional Skill Acquisition Programme), Indian Institute of Infrastructure & Construction, Kollam; CREDAI, Kerala. The paint academy that will be established on the IIICC Campus at Chavara, Kollam, will be imparting training in painting buildings. The academy that will be established at ASAP Skill Sky Park, Thavanur, Malappuram will be imparting training in painting vehicles. In the first year, 380 people will be trained.

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