Professor Tariq Ali (centre) with IIT Palakkad colleagues
A recent visit to India by Professor Tariq Ali, the University of Liverpool's Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement and Partnerships, celebrated new and existing partnerships in the country.
Professor Ali signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Palakkad, to foster research and academic collaborations, marking the start of an institutional partnership between Liverpool and this ambitious institution.
The MoU lists four areas of complementary research strength, which are maritime and ocean sciences, renewable energy, digital health and biomedical science. The two institutions have also committed to exploring the possibility of joint PhD programs and student faculty exchange initiatives.
"This partnership underscores our mutual commitment to advancing research and promoting academic growth", said Professor A. Seshadri Sekhar, Director, IIT Palakkad.
The University of Liverpool's Professor Tariq Ali said: "This MoU is just the start of what we expect to be a long term partnership, representing mutual growth for both our institutions. I look forward to exploring the many research and education opportunities this presents."
Whilst in India, Professor Ali met with the Director General Mr Amit Prothi and his senior colleagues from the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. The CDRI is a partnership of 40 national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development.
"The University is delighted to have formally been accepted into a small group of University members and we look forward to contributing and leading key themes," Professor Ali added.
Professor Ali also visited the All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, with whom earlier this year the University signed the Letter of Intent committing to a major new UK-India initiative.
A key aim of the partnership is the opening of a collaborative Centre for Translational Research in Head-Neck Cancer (HNC), situated at the National Cancer Institute at AIIMS' New Delhi Jhajjar Campus. This hub will mark the start of a collaboration that delivers research and education programmes to revolutionise the care of HNC patients in the UK, India and globally.
The trip also took in visits to existing University of Liverpool partner institutions the Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in Bengaluru and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS).
