The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay) and the State University of New York Old Westbury announced Friday that they will partner in the development of new educational and research opportunities that would be offered on the Long Island, New York campus.
A letter of intent was signed here by IIT Bombay Director Prof Shireesh Kedare and President of SUNY Old Westbury Dr Timothy E Sams in the presence of Consul General of India in New York Binaya Pradhan.
Also read | A three-decade old Vadilal family feud melts its way into courtroom drama
Under the partnership, the two institutions will begin work towards creating new academic offerings at all levels in science and engineering focused on emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, while also developing plans for collaborative research activities, SUNY Old Westbury said in a statement.
Attending the announcement virtually were Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Secretary of Higher Education Dr Vineet Joshi and Indian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra.
Dharmendra Pradhan welcomed the announcement by the institutes to “explore collaboration in engineering, multidisciplinary research, technology and other emerging areas of the future.””Such collaborations enrich our research culture, open new avenues for our students, scholars and learners and build enduring bridges of knowledge to address global challenges while carrying India’s intellectual strengths to the world,” he said in a post on X.
The statement by SUNY said early areas of cooperation under the partnership are expected to include visits and exchange of faculty members and researchers between the institutions, joint research activities, and the development of joint conferences or symposia.
Also read | Apple turns forbidden fruit in India after overnight price shock
These early-stage efforts will be conducted while the development of new degree programs takes shape.
“IIT Bombay is excited to work with SUNY Old Westbury, whose leadership is committed to quality education and is forward-looking in its outlook,” Kedare said. “Considering that our strengths are complementary, we believe that our partnership has the ability to scale great heights.”
Describing IIT Bombay as a world-class institution, Sams said his institute is excited to establish a direct partnership that advances teaching, innovation and excellence in disciplines like physics and engineering with a goal of creating a “robust IIT Bombay presence on our campus so that together we can prepare the next generation of leaders who will fuel success across our region, state, nation and world.”
Speaking on the occasion, Kwatra underscored the importance of strengthening academic and technological collaboration between the two prestigious institutions and fostering deeper partnerships in research, innovation, and higher education.
Joshi described the partnership between IIT Bombay and SUNY Old Westbury as a “new and proud” chapter in the India-US partnership in higher education and research and one of the most consequential.
The IIT Bombay-SUNY collaboration is the latest in a series of recent partnerships between prestigious higher education centres based in India and the US, underscoring the potential of deepening research and academic bilateral ties.