S. Vishnu Sharma
IIT Roorkee turned cynosure of all eyes when International Relations (IR) conclave was organized on its premises.
This year IR Conclave was organized at the esteemed IIT Roorkee campus, and the proceedings of it unfolded on November 6 and 7, 2023.
The event is a highly influential platform for all the IITs and is dedicated to fostering discussions on the internationalization of higher education at IITs, say sources from IIT Roorkee.
Remarkable event
The remarkable event of IR Conclave 2023 brought together a diverse array of stakeholders to address the multifaceted challenges inherent in international education collaboration, say sources from IIT Roorkee.
It provided a platform for thought leaders, experts, and representatives from academia and funding agencies to engage in extensive dialogues on the strategies of internationalization within the Indian Institute of Technology system, say sources from IIT Roorkee.
This event was designed to encourage collaboration, knowledge sharing, and collective brainstorming on matters of paramount significance in the realm of internationalization of higher education, say sources from IIT Roorkee.
Inaugural
The inaugural session of the event was graced by a distinguished panel of dignitaries, including Prof. K. K. Pant (Director, IIT Roorkee); Dr. S. K. Varshney (International Cooperation, Department of Science and Technology).
Other eminent personalities during the event at IIT Roorkee were Prof. Nitin Seth (Director, Indo-French Centre for Promotion of Advanced Research – IFCPAR / CEFIPRA); Dr. B. Chandrasekar (Executive Director, Corporate Planning, EdCIL (India) Limited, a Mini Ratna Category 1 CPSE).
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Prof. V. C. Srivastava (Dean, International Relations) and Prof. Ankit Agarwal (Organizing Secretary, IR Conclave) were also there during the inaugural of the conclave at IIT Roorkee.
Director of IIT Roorkee
Prof. K. K. Pant, Director of IIT Roorkee, underscored the importance of inter-IIT collaboration and strengthening of ties between new and old generation IITs to take on the research and development challenges of the present times.
Prof Pant stressed that events such as All IIT Conclave provide a perfect platform for invoking fruitful discussions on the sharing of knowledge and experiences, and the development of strategies for academic and research cooperation.
Significance
Expanding on the conference’s significance, Prof. S.K. Varshney, Head of International Cooperation, DST appreciated the efforts of IITs in engaging to enhance the Internationalization efforts and coming together to discuss challenges in academic and research collaborations.
Dr. Varshney also emphasized the importance of sharing expertise among IITs to enrich the academic and research excellence of both the students and the researchers.
Indo-French collaboration
Prof. Nitin Seth, Director of the Indo-French Centre for Promotion of Advanced Research (IFCPAR) / CEFIPRA, underscored the enormous potential for Indo-French collaboration.
He also emphasized the importance of research collaboration between Indian and French Institutions to drive scientific excellence, address global challenges, and create a brighter world through collaborative research and shared expertise.
Sessions
The conclave also featured a series of enlightening plenary sessions on topics such as “International Students: Challenges Ahead,” “International Networking & Faculty Exchange,” “Challenges of IR Office: Open Discussions,” and “Responsibilities & Digitization of IR Office.”
These sessions saw active participation from Deans, Associate Deans, Department Heads, and Faculty members along with various representatives from different IITs.
The conclave concluded with the resolve of greater cooperation by establishing a permanent communication channel between all IITs which will be hosted by IIT Roorkee.
IIT-ISM Dhanbad offered to be the host of IR Conclave next year, which was unanimously accepted by all the participating IITs.
About IIT Roorkee
IIT Roorkee is an institute of national importance imparting higher education in engineering, sciences, management, architecture and planning, and humanities and social sciences.
Since its establishment in 1847, the Institute has played a vital role in providing technical human resources and know-how to the country.
The popularity of this institution has managed to reach all the corners of this country. It has won praises for its services from various sections of the society.