With Queen’s University Belfast setting up its international campus at GIFT City, located close to IIT Gandhinagar, the two institutions have come together to explore new opportunities for academic and research collaboration.
“We feel very lucky to have such an excellent team working with IIT Gandhinagar to build strong and sustainable global partnerships. Your institution embodies a wonderful sense of national pride, community, and research excellence. The work being done here is truly inspiring, and I have been deeply impressed by the creativity and quality of your initiatives. We look forward to nurturing this relationship and working closely together in the years ahead,” said Prof Richard Miles, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Queen’s University Belfast, who was present during the MoU signing ceremony at IIT Gandhinagar on November 3, 2025.on November 3, 2025.
The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) and Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), Northern Ireland, have entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster academic and research collaboration between the two institutions.
The MoU aims to promote mutual cooperation through faculty and student exchanges, joint research initiatives, information sharing, and collaborative academic activities. The partnership also includes engagement with Queen’s International Branch Campus at GIFT City, Gandhinagar, to strengthen global academic connections and innovation-driven education.
The agreement was signed by Prof Richard Miles, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Queen’s University Belfast, and Prof Amit Prashant, Dean (External Relations), IITGN, in the presence of Prof Rajat Moona, Director, IITGN.
Prof Miles also highlighted IITGN’s strong focus on entrepreneurship, innovation, and teaching that encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. He said this approach equips students with essential skills for the future and is one of the key reasons for building this collaboration.
“It is a great pleasure to welcome our colleagues from Queen’s University Belfast to IIT Gandhinagar. As close neighbours with shared academic aspirations, we have tremendous opportunities to work together on innovative and interdisciplinary projects. Since Queen’s is setting up its international campus at GIFT City, which is very close to IITGN, we can easily work together for developing joint programmes, research collaborations, and global learning experiences. We look forward to building a long-term partnership that fosters impactful outcomes, strengthens our academic ecosystem, and contributes to technological and societal advancement,” said Prof Rajat Moona, Director, IITGN, during his welcome address.
Prof Moona also highlighted the Institute’s distinctive facilities and ecosystem that set it apart from other IITs, adding that this partnership would be a significant step toward IITGN’s vision of fostering global collaborations.
Prof Amit Prashant, Dean, External Relations, shared that the collaboration would open exciting opportunities in the field of innovation. “We look forward to working together on projects that bring creative ideas to life and strengthen the innovation ecosystem at both institutions,” he said.
Adding to this, Prof Madhav Pathak, Faculty-in-Charge, International Relations, IITGN, highlighted the Institute’s vibrant campus, diverse academic programs, fellowship opportunities, joint research and degrees, centre for AI-driven innovations, academic exchange programs, and multidisciplinary courses beyond engineering that make IITGN a truly global and inclusive learning environment.