STORY CREDITS

Writer/Editor: Shivangi Vasudev Bhatt

Photo: Media and Communication, IIT Gandhinagar

British Deputy High Commissioner to Gujarat and Rajasthan, Mr Peter Cook, along with senior officials from the Department of Education, UK Government and senior functionaries from five UK universities, held deliberations with IITGN faculty for academic and R&D collaborations.

A 15-member delegation from the United Kingdom (UK), led by British Deputy High Commissioner to Gujarat and Rajasthan, Mr Peter Cook, visited IITGN today. The delegation included senior officials from the Department of Education, UK Government; senior functionaries from the University of Birmingham; University of Glasgow; University of Southampton; University of Portsmouth; De Montfort University; and the officials of British Council in India; who held an interactive meeting with IITGN faculty to discuss future collaborations between IITGN and the educational institutions in the UK in academic and research spheres. IITGN and universities from the UK also shared key highlights, programmes, and research focus areas of mutual interests.

Welcoming the delegation Prof S P Mehrotra, Professor In-charge, External Relations, IITGN, said, “We are delighted that the delegation chose to visit IIT Gandhinagar during their India visit. We have had considerable partnerships with many of the universities in the UK through various projects/programmes. I am sure that this visit by the distinguished group of dignitaries will further strengthen the collaborative activities between IIT Gandhinagar and educational institutions in the UK.”

Acting Director, Prof Gaurav Srivastava made a brief presentation on IITGN’s ongoing academic programmes and Research & Development (R&D) activities. He particularly highlighted several new innovative approaches IITGN has initiated to differentiate it from other IITs.

During the meeting, Mr Peter Cook, British Deputy High Commissioner to Gujarat and Rajasthan, said, “When I visited IIT Gandhinagar three years ago, I was very encouraged by the strong desire for international collaborations by the Institute. After a brief interruption in that direction due to the Pandemic, this is a wonderful opportunity for us to meet prospective partners in Gujarat. This is also a very important and joint desire by both the countries to strengthen our educational partnerships in the areas of research, innovation, science & technology, and so on. I look forward to the prospective collaborations after this meeting, and my office would be happy to facilitate the introduction and alliance between the institutions.”

IIT Gandhinagar is one of the most globalised campuses in India. Nearly 40 percent of its undergraduate and 75 percent of its PhD students receive study abroad, internship or other experience overseas before they graduate from the Institute. Nearly 80 percent of the faculty has an overseas degree or postdoctoral experience abroad. Almost 20 percent of its faculty is visiting, predominantly from abroad. The Institute also hosts many international students every year on its campus.

This news has been covered by some of the leading Indian newspapers and media agencies. Click on the links below to read more.