September 28th, 2007; IIF, New Delhi : Safety against natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunami; manmade like terrorists attacks; technical such as collapse of machinery, aircraft accidents, collapse of bridge or gas leakage in plants & factories etc; and strikes & riots is a matter of major concern for nations and governments of various countries. Risks associated and the resultant losses of men and resources cause havoc to the world economy and affect economic growth. Safety and risk management are of utmost importance in today’s complex world for world peace, prosperity, safety and happiness of its people.

Keeping in view these and other similar considerations, India's Delhi based Indian Institute of Finance has signed another Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the prestigious International Committee "InterSafety" on 7th September 2007 at the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPME), St. Petersburg, Russia. The International Committee focuses on Counteraction to Terrorism, Narcotics Use and Ecological Crimes as a prime functional area of "InterSafety". The academic collaboration would entail conducting joint seminars, round tables, training programs, research on Indo-Russian economic relation to be partner in having a safer Globe.

The academic collaboration has been furthered in connection with our Chairman Prof. J.D. Agarwal's visit to deliver the Opening Inaugural Speech at Russian Academy of Science IPME Scientific Conference on 4th September 2007 in St. Petersburg [Text of Speech : http://www.iif.edu/director/articles/20070904spc001.htm].

The agreement was signed between Dr. Leonid Karnakov, Secretary, InterSafety Committee and Prof. J. D. Agarwal, Chairman IIF, seconded by Prof. Boris Ivchenko, Chairman International Council of Experts, InterSafety and Professor, Russian Academy of Public Administration (NWAPA) and Prof. Aman Agarwal, Vice-Chairman IIF during their visit to Russia.

Other faculty of RAS Russia gracing the historic moment were Prof. Evgueny Solojentsev, Professor, Russian Academy of Sciences IPME St. Petersburg, Prof. Arcady Novosyolov, Professor, Russian Academy of Sciences ICM-SB Krasnoyarsk and other senior professors.

The International Committee "InterSafety" has been registered with the Ministry of the Industry of Canada in June 2006. The purpose of the International committee is commitment to ecological safety, active counteraction to terrorism and a narcotics use in Canada, the USA, Russia, Western and Eastern Europe and other regions, and also to support state, interstate and public organizations, assistance to administrative bodies in their activity on preventive maintenance, and suppression of infringements in these spheres. The international organization has Russian Bureaus in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and currently setting up bureaus in Stavropol, Kaliningrad (Russia), and also in Geneva (Switzerland).

IIF, founded in 1987, 20 years ago, ranked amongst top 30 from 3546 universities in Indian subcontinent, is one of the youngest and most specialized educational and research institution imparting higher education in finance. Its quarterly journal – Finance India is being rated as the leading and prestigious journal world-wide by B & E index, American Statistical Association, USA & other international organizations.