Overview
Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) is a state government-owned autonomous university located in Kochi, Kerala, India. It was established in 1971 as the University of Cochin through an act of the Kerala Legislature, following a sustained campaign for postgraduate education in the state. The university was renamed Cochin University of Science and Technology in February 1986.
The university operates from three campuses: two in Kochi, at Kalamassery and Ernakulam, and a third in Kuttanad, Alappuzha, situated about 66 km inland. CUSAT's stated objectives are to promote undergraduate and postgraduate studies and advanced research in applied science, technology, industry, commerce, management and the social sciences.
As of 2019, the university comprised 29 departments of study and research, offering graduate and postgraduate programmes across disciplines including engineering, science, technology, humanities, law and management. Admissions to undergraduate and postgraduate courses are conducted through the Common Admission Test (CAT), while Departmental Admission Tests (DAT) are held for certain postgraduate programmes. CUSAT also maintains academic links and exchange arrangements with institutions abroad.
The motto of the university, Tejasvinavadhithamastu, is drawn from the Vedas and conveys the sentiment that the wisdom acquired may benefit both the teacher and the taught, and extend to the universe as a whole. In a notable instance of scientific recognition, a new species of amphipod collected from the Cochin backwaters was named Victoriopisa cusatensis after the university in 2018.