IIT Bombay, SUNY Old Westbury to collaborate on engineering education, research; Dharmendra Pradhan gets a contract

IIT Bombay and SUNY Old Westbury sign LoI for engineering, AI Research Cooperation under the vision of NEP 2020. (Photo: X post)

New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and the State University of New York (SUNY) Old Westbury have announced a new partnership aimed at expanding education and research opportunities in engineering, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies. The agreement, formalized through a Letter of Intent (LoI) signed in New York, marks another milestone in the development of India-US higher education cooperation.Welcome development, Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan He said the agreement is in line with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promotes the improvement of higher education in India. In a post on X, the minister described the project as a way to encourage research, innovation, and participation in international education.Collaborative focus on emerging technologiesThe Letter of Intent was signed by IIT Bombay Director Prof. Shireesh Kedare is president of SUNY Old Westbury Dr. Timothy E. Sams before the Consul General of India in New York Binaya Pradhan. The partnership will explore collaboration in engineering, multidisciplinary research, technology, and other future disciplines, including artificial intelligence.Pradhan welcomed the announcement, saying, “I welcome the announcement of the Letter of Intent between IIT Bombay and SUNY Old Westbury to explore collaboration in engineering, research, technology and other emerging areas in the future.” He also acknowledged the participation of Ambassador of India Vinay Mohan Kwatra, President of SUNY Old Westbury Dr Timothy Sams, Director of IIT Bombay Prof Shireesh Kedare, and Consul General Binaya Pradhan in furthering the shared vision.NEP 2020A global perspectiveHighlighting the importance of international education cooperation, the Minister of Education said that this cooperation reflects the ambitions of NEP 2020.“NEP 2020 lays great emphasis on expanding India’s higher education and promoting collaboration between our major institutions and world-class universities,” Pradhan said.He said that this would help boost Indian research while creating opportunities for students and professionals.“Such collaboration enriches our research culture, opens up new avenues for our students, scholars and students and builds sustainable knowledge bridges to tackle global challenges and carry Indian wisdom to the world,” the minister said.Faculty exchange, collaborative research in discussionAccording to SUNY Old Westbury, these organizations will focus primarily on the exchange of scholars and researchers, research projects, and the organization of joint meetings and symposia. These experiments will lay the foundation for future studies in science and engineering.Director of IIT Bombay Prof Shireesh Kedare said the institute is looking forward to working with SUNY Old Westbury, saying that the combined strengths of both institutions will help make the collaboration “higher.” SUNY Old Westbury President Dr. Timothy E. Sams described IIT Bombay as a global institution and said that this partnership will strengthen teaching, innovation, and excellence while preparing the next generation of global leaders.