Kochi, December 3: The U.S. Consulate General in Chennai and the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) today inaugurated an “American Corner” at the CUSAT campus in Kochi on December 3, offering an American cultural and educational space to the public in Kerala. The American Corner at CUSAT joins a dynamic worldwide network of nearly 600 American Spaces, which are the U.S. government’s primary public cultural and information centers providing free and open access for communities interested in learning more about the United States.
Jeanne Briganti, Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Consulate General Chennai, inaugurated the American Corner alongside CUSAT Vice Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) M. Junaid Bushiri and Dr. Rajan Varughese, Member Secretary of Kerala State Higher Education Council.
Jeanne Briganti said: “The American Corner Kochi at CUSAT is set to become a vibrant center for innovation, learning, and cultural exchange, strengthening the ties between the United States and India. The American Center Chennai, which will directly support the new American Corner, shares with CUSAT a commitment to empower girls and women in STEAM, promote hands-on-learning opportunities and STEAM for social good, improve access to science, and cultivate the next generation of change makers.”
The activities at American Corner Kochi will be free of charge and open to all. The American Corner’s inaugural programs will feature the Young Innovators’ Lab, with a hands-on Robotics and 3D Printing workshop series for school students at CUSAT’s Centre for Science in Society (C-SIS); a Business Communication Workshop tailored for entrepreneurs, organized in collaboration with the Government of Kerala through the Kerala Startup Mission; and intensive eLibraryUSA training sessions for research scholars at CUSAT to maximize the use of digital resources.
In 2025, American Corner Kochi will feature an AI and Machine Learning workshop, organized in partnership with IIT Madras. Future initiatives will include EducationUSA informational sessions, United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) consultations on higher education or U.S. Fulbright Programs, and exchange programs. The American Corner Kochi is located at the Students’ Amenity Center in CUSAT and will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday (except second Saturdays and public holidays).
Translation: Malayalam (PDF: 92 KB)
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