Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) and Tohoku University have signed a Joint Statement to create the Tohoku University IIT Bombay Joint Institute of Excellence (JIE). The signing was done at a ceremonial event hosted by Tohoku University in Japan.
The deal is to encourage advanced research cooperation, exchange of students and professors, and cooperative programs in areas like green energy, artificial intelligence, materials science, and disaster resilience. In conjunction with the setup of the JIE, the two universities entered into a new deal to institute a Dual Doctoral Degree Program. The project is being labeled as a giant leap towards advancing bilateral research cooperation between the two nations.
This collaboration is a major milestone in Indo-Japanese academic relations", Prof. Shireesh B. Kedare, Director of IIT Bombay, said at the event. "We are optimistic that the Joint Institute of Excellence will be a platform for innovation and long-term collaboration in areas of global importance.
Senior representatives of both organizations, along with government and diplomatic figures, attended the reception. These included Mr Sibi George, Ambassador of India to Japan, and Mr Gakuji Ito, Director-General of the Higher Education Bureau, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan. Mr Kanji Fujiki, of the Japan Science and Technology Agency, and Mr Kazuhiro Aoki, Managing Director of The 77 Bank Ltd, were also there.
Tohoku University President Prof. T. Tominaga headed the host team, and IIT Bombay's delegation consisted of Chairman of the Board of Governors Mr Sharad Kumar Saraf, Deputy Director (ART) Prof. Milind Atrey, Dean of International Relations Prof. Sudarshan Kumar, and other top faculty members.
In the course of the ceremony, Prof. Masahiro Yamaguchi presented an overview of the new Joint Institute of Excellence and Prof. Daisuke Komori presented Tohoku University's continued collaborative work. Prof. P. Seshu, who is also convenor of the JIE Committee at IIT Bombay, discussed the long-term vision of the partnership of the institute.
The pact comes after a Global Immersion Programme at IIT Bombay in March, where a batch of Tohoku University students visited India. "The response from our students was very positive", says Prof. Komori. "They found the experience at IIT Bombay both intellectually enriching and culturally enriching".
Officials from both countries said the new initiatives would assist in meeting global challenges through cross-disciplinary research and cross-border scholarly collaboration. Though the long-term effect is to be seen, the establishment of the JIE is being considered a tangible move towards building lasting scholarly and cultural connections between India and Japan.
