S. Vishnu Sharma
Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) is now looking for a greater collaboration with Japanese industry and academia along with research laboratories. With the first phase of collaboration witnessing a huge success, the prestigious educational institution is now looking towards enhancing the collaboration in the second phase.
Sources from IIT-H say the first phase of the collaboration had witnessed many achievements including filing of 51 patent applications, signing of 56 MoUs between IIT-H and Japanese universities, research laboratories and industries. The highlight in the first phase of the collaboration was 116 students getting scholarship to study in 14 universities of Japan.
Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H)
The premier institution into providing technical education is now looking forward towards giving a major boost to its partnership with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the second phase. The Institute is proposing an increased collaboration with the Japanese Industry and Academia besides research laboratories. Major emphasis is being placed on exchange of Ph.D. students, Joint Masters and Ph.D. programs.
JICA is a governmental agency that coordinates official development assistance for the government of Japan. Recently, JICA Officials have made a visit to the IIT Hyderabad campus for the terminal evaluation of the friendship project of IIT-H with JICA, which is ending in March 2020.
Professor B.S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad said the outcome in the first phase of collaboration with Japan based establishments were satisfactory. The outcome in the first phase like numerous patents, publications, faculty, student exchanges and projects are rewarding, he said.
‘As the current friendship project is ending soon, we are enthusiastically looking forward to the sanction of second phase of the friendship project so that we can continue to have this remarkable collaboration and take it to the greater heights for the mutual benefit of both Japan and India.’
It is interesting to note that the cooperation between IIT-H and Japan began in 2007 based on the commitment between the Prime Ministers of India and Japan. A Project for Future Researchers at IIT Hyderabad to Enhance Network Development with Scholarship of Japan (FRIENDSHIP) was initiated by JICA in July 2010.
The friendship program involved JICA support for student and faculty exchanges and collaborative projects between IIT-H and Japanese universities and industry. JICA had dispatched a total of five long-term experts to coordinate the project.
Seven international symposia/conferences were jointly held by IIT Hyderabad and Japanese partners. IIT Hyderabad and Japanese academic institutions jointly applied for 59 research funds, among which nine have already been sanctioned.