The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi(IITD) has partnered with a leading Australian institution The University of Queensland(UQ) to launch its first international joint PhD program. UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj and IITD Director Professor V Ramgopal Rao signed the historic agreement at IIT Delhi on September 22, formalising a mutual goal to build diverse and sustainable partnerships.
The Academy of Research(UQIDAR) will pave the way for students and academics to partner on projects addressing some of the most pressing issues affecting India, Australia, and global communities. Open to all disciplines, the UQIDAR will enable students to gain a global qualification from both IITD and UQ, a university ranked among the worlds top 50. The majority of students will be recruited into the program in New Delhi, with a small cohort of Australian based researchers.
The collaboration will involve strong industry linkages, which Professor Høj said is integral to the student experience.
“As a global university, UQ is committed to developing people-to-people links with India’s higher education sector and the University is privileged to partner with the Institute of Eminence such as IITD,” Professor Høj said.
“In time we hope prominent research institutes in and around New Delhi will join the Academy as an associate and industry partners, so we can continue to expand internationally relevant research in diverse areas such as medicine, economics, agriculture and the humanities.”
With generous scholarship opportunities, the UQIDAR will enable students from India and Australia to take advantage of world-class facilities and resources and to gain exposure to culturally diverse research networks.
Professor Rao said the program would provide an excellent platform for emerging research, giving students access to employment opportunities with global sponsors.
“ Capturing opportunities to grow our research community and creating high-value jobs of the future is a key priority for IITD,” Professor Rao said.
“We want to make India a key player in the higher education sector internationally and we are committed to building a strong culture of collaboration with one of the best institutions in Australia.”
The Academy will allow for scale and sustainability. It is expected to graduate more than 360 students within the next 10 years.