Published: 1 June 2026

When Southern Cross University and KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research (KAHER) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2024, the agreement identified shared priorities across health research, education, and workforce development. The inauguration of the Southern Cross University-KLE Research and Education Hub in Belagavi, Karnataka, marks the partnership moving from commitment to action.

Two institutions, one shared purpose

KAHER offers courses across the faculties of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, physiotherapy, and Ayurveda. It conducts nationally funded research in genomics, pharmacovigilance, and artificial intelligence in healthcare. The institution has a significant longterm relationship with the National Institutes of Health Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research, connecting leading maternal and child health researchers across low- and middle-income countries.

Southern Cross University brings practice-based health education and research depth, with programs spanning nursing, midwifery, allied health, counselling, lifestyle medicine, and preventive care. The Faculty of Health graduates around 600 nurses annually and carries a legislated mandate to meet the needs of the communities it serves.

The complementary strengths are deliberate. KAHER's clinical scale and research infrastructure, combined with Southern Cross University's applied health education expertise, create scope for collaboration that neither institution could pursue alone.

The hub's priority areas reflect both the shared interests identified in the 2024 MoU and the most pressing health challenges across both countries: chronic disease management, primary healthcare, maternal and infant care, and health promotion.

“The launch of the Southern Cross University-KLE Research and Education Hub is the foundation of a meaningful international collaboration committed to impactful research, workforce development, reciprocal learning, and global engagement.”

Professor Christina Aggar, from the Faculty of Health at Southern Cross University, holds an adjunct appointment at KAHER Institute of Nursing Sciences in Belagavi, a role that positions her as a working link between the two institutions. She said the hub represented a shift in what the partnership could achieve.

"The launch of the Southern Cross University-KLE Research and Education Hub is the foundation of a meaningful international collaboration committed to impactful research, workforce development, reciprocal learning, and global engagement," Professor Aggar said.

"By establishing strong governance, fostering multidisciplinary collaboration, and investing in higher degree research, mobility, and shared innovation, Southern Cross University and KLE are investing in a sustainable partnership that will deliver lasting benefits across communities, health systems, and future generations," Professor Aggar said.

SCU and KLE Academy representatives during the launch