IIT Bombay and SUNY Old Westbury to collaborate in engineering education and research; Dharmendra Pradhan welcomes collaboration

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and SUNY Old Westbury signed a letter of intent to collaborate on engineering and artificial intelligence research under the NEP 2020 vision. (Picture: X post)

New Delhi: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and State University of New York (SUNY) Old Westbury have announced a new collaboration aimed at expanding academic and research opportunities in engineering, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. The partnership, formalized through a Letter of Intent (LoI) signed in New York, marks another milestone in the growing India-US higher education partnership.Federal Education Minister welcomes development Dharmendra Pradhan Said that this collaboration is in line with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which aims to promote internationalization of higher education in India. In a post on X, the minister described the initiative as a step towards strengthening research, innovation and global academic engagement.Collaboration focuses on emerging technologiesSignatory of Letter of Intent Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare and Dr. Timothy E. Sams, Chancellor of SUNY Old Westbury in the presence of Binaya Pradhan, Consul General of India in New York. The partnership will explore collaboration in engineering, multidisciplinary research, technology and other future-oriented disciplines, including artificial intelligence.Welcoming the news, Pradhan said, “I welcome the signing of the Letter of Intent between IIT Bombay and SUNY-Old Westbury to explore collaboration in engineering, multidisciplinary research, technology and other future emerging fields.” He also thanked Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra, SUNY-Old Westbury President Dr. Timothy Sams, IIT-Bombay Dean Prof. Shireesh Kedare and the Consul General for their shared vision.New Economic Policy 2020global perspectiveThe Education Minister highlighted the importance of international academic partnerships and said this collaboration reflects the aspirations of NEP 2020.“NEP 2020 places strong emphasis on the internationalization of Indian higher education and encourages meaningful partnerships between our premier institutions and leading global universities,” Pradhan wrote.He added that such measures help strengthen India’s research ecosystem while creating new opportunities for learners and scholars.“Such collaborations enrich our research culture, open up new avenues for our students, scholars and learners, and build lasting intellectual bridges to address global challenges while taking India’s intellectual strengths to the world,” the minister said.Teacher exchanges and joint research are on the agendaAccording to SUNY Old Westbury, the institutions will initially focus on exchanges of faculty and researchers, collaborative research programs, and organizing joint conferences and workshops. These efforts will lay the foundation for future academic programs in science and engineering.Professor Shireesh Kedare, director of IIT Bombay, said the institute looks forward to collaborating with SUNY Old Westbury, noting that the two institutions’ complementary strengths can help the partnership “take it to the next level.” Dr. Timothy E. Sams, president of SUNY Old Westbury, described IIT Bombay as a world-class institution and said the collaboration will enhance teaching, innovation and excellence while developing the next generation of global leaders.