IIT Hyderabad looking to expand tie-up with JICA

Major emphasis is being placed on exchange of Ph.D. students, Joint Masters and Ph.D. programs, IIT Hyderabad said on Friday.

IIT Hyderabad is seeking to build a long-term sustainable collaboration with JICA, which is a governmental agency that coordinates official development assistance for the government of Japan.

JICA officials recently visited the IIT Hyderabad campus for the terminal evaluation of the FRIENDSHIP project of IITH with JICA, which is ending in March 2020. They expressed happiness with the outcome of the project.

The collaboration between IIT Hyderabad and Japan started in August 2007 based on the commitment between the prime ministers of India and Japan. A Project for Future Researchers at IIT Hyderabad to Enhance Network Development with Scholarship of Japan (FRIENDSHIP) was initiated by JICA in July 2010.

The FRIENDSHIP program involved JICA support for student and faculty exchanges and collaborative projects between IIT-H and Japanese universities and industry. JICA had dispatched 5 long-term experts to coordinate the project.

"As the current FRIENDSHIP project is ending soon, we are enthusiastically looking forward to the sanction of Phase II of the FRIENDSHIP project so that we can continue to have this remarkable collaboration and take it to the greater heights for the mutual benefit of both Japan and India," said Prof B.S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad.

IIT Hyderabad received significant assistance for research in five areas - Next Generation Communication Technologies (NGCT), Design and Manufacturing (DM), Sustainable Development (SD), Environment and Energy (EE), and Nano Technology and Nano Science (NTNC).

JICA has also supported the construction of buildings and the procurement of equipment necessary for high-end research.

IIT-Hyderabad researchers applied for 51 patents under the project. Under Collaboration Kickstarter Program (CKP), seven research projects have been selected and about Rs 2.67 crore disbursed so far.

A total of 116 IIT-H students received the FRIENDSHIP scholarship to study in 14 universities of Japan. As many as 88 IIT-H graduates have obtained various positions at a Japanese academic institutions or industry besides this program.

The project has resulted in signing of 56 MOUs between IIT-H and Japanese universities, research labs and industries.