The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K) and the University of Alberta, Canada, signed an agreement for a joint degree program (JDP) and research collaborations on January 18 at IIT Kanpur.
The agreement between the two universities paves the way for doctoral students from either university to participate in the joint degree program and carry out research at the partner university. The agreement will also foster research collaborations between faculty from the two universities on energy materials, systems, and technologies needed for the transition to clean energy.
The agreement was signed by the Director of IIT Kanpur, Prof. Abhay Karandikar, and Prof. Dhirendra Katti, Dean of International Relations at IIT Kanpur, and Prof. William Flanagan, President and Vice-Chancellor and Dr. Cen Huang, Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor. -President (International) of the University of Alberta.
The agreement establishes guidelines for professors from the two universities to jointly supervise a doctoral student and will give admitted students the opportunity to conduct research and visit the partner university for a period of one year or more. The joint PhD program will provide students with the opportunity to work with world-renowned faculty at both institutions in key research areas of mutual interest and will enable them to gain valuable experience while pursuing their PhD studies.
IIT Kanpur will also collaborate with the University of Alberta in the Joint Research Innovation Network with a focus on developing new, renewable and efficient energy materials, systems and technologies for the clean energy transition to address climate issues.
Professor Abhay Karandikar, Director of IIT Kanpur, said in a statement on Thursday that “we are excited to partner with the University of Alberta on this joint PhD programme. This agreement will provide students with unique opportunities to work with leading researchers in their respective fields and will help foster collaboration between our institutions. This is another significant addition to the growing collaborative R&D ecosystem at IIT Kanpur. The agreement will allow us to share expertise and resources and help advance research in key areas of mutual interest.”
The University of Alberta delegation also interacted with IIT Kanpur faculty members working in the field of energy and discussed potential areas of collaboration in the field of energy. The delegation also visited the facilities of the Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering, such as PG Energy Lab, Battery Fabrication Lab, as well as other facilities such as Smart Grid Center and Solar Energy Research Park.