IITs will participate in India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem

New Delhi, Sep 9 (IANS) IITs (Kanpur, Jodhpur, BHU and Delhi) will join forces with the State University of New York at Buffalo to create Joint Research Centers and also participate in the Academia Startup Partnership under the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), the Education Ministry said on Saturday. 

INDUS-X will serve as a catalyst for developing the next-generation technology in defence and security by our instituions and startups.

India-US bond deepens as collaboration in academics soars with the growing number of multi-institutional collaborative education partnerships between the two countries, an official of the ministry said. 

An MoU was signed between Indian universities, represented by the Council of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT Council), and the Association of American Universities (AAU) to establish the India-US Global Challenges Institute, with a combined initial commitment of at least US$10 million. 

India-US Global Challenges Institute being setup between Indian higher educational institutes and US universities aims to tackle global issues ranging from sustainable energy to pandemic preparedness, the ministry of education said 

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "As the G20 summit gets underway, I'm delighted to share the transformative Joint Statement issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden. This statement celebrates our educational collaboration through the India-US Global Challenges Institute and marks a significant milestone in defence innovation through the India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X)."

The Ministry of Education said that the institute aims to foster collaborative efforts among premier research and higher education institutions from both nations, addressing global challenges that require interdisciplinary solutions.

IIT Kanpur is collaborating with New York University Tandon School of Engineering to launch the NYU-Tandon Advanced Research Center in critical and emerging technologies. 

IIT Bombay has joined the Chicago Quantum Exchange as an international partner, which will shape to a shared vision of a global quantum economy. These partnerships serve as a testament to the strengthening educational ties between India and the US in the core, key sector of education, the official added

The Union education Ministry said that Prime Minister Modi and US President welcomed the signing of an MoU between Indian universities, represented by the Council of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT Council), and the Association of American Universities (AAU) to establish the India-US Global Challenges Institute, with a combined initial commitment of at least US$10 million. 

The Global Challenges Institute will bring together leading research and higher-education institutions from across our two nations, including beyond AAU and IIT membership, to advance new frontiers in science and technology, spanning collaboration in sustainable energy and agriculture, health and pandemic preparedness, semiconductor technology and manufacturing, advanced materials, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, and quantum science, the official added. 

The ministry said that the leaders also welcomed the growing number of multi-institutional collaborative education partnerships, such as those between New York University-Tandon and IIT Kanpur Advanced Research Center, and the Joint Research Centers of the State University of New York at Buffalo and IIT Delhi, Kanpur, Jodhpur, and BHU, in the areas of critical and emerging technologies. 

Multi-faceted partnership like IIT Bombay joining Chicago Quantum Exchange,  New York University setting up NYU-Tandon IIT Kanpur Advanced Research Center, State University of NewYork at Buffalo setting up joint research centers in IIT Delhi, Kanpur, Jodhpur and IIT BHU symbolise the strength and breadth of the India-US relationship.

Pradhan said, "I applaud our Higher Education Institutions for being at the forefront of these revolutionary collaborations."