The UK’s efforts to tap the Indian scientific talent for mutual benefit has seen universities and institutions from the UK getting into tie ups and partnerships with premier Indian institutions.
The University of Oxford and the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore have signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Oxford-IISc Axis on Affordable Healthcare. The initiative brings together the complementary scientific capabilities of Oxford and IISc in biology and engineering.
It’s a major step in bringing together scientists and clinicians from Bangalore hospitals as well as scientists from rural Indian universities, and innovation and commercialisation experts from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. While, the modalities are still being worked out, the partners are expected to meet in Oxford in May for a preliminary workshop to shape the initial direction of the collaboration.
“It is too early to know the exact shape of the agreement,” said a top official from the UK deputy High Commisiion . An important development has been that of new UK-India projects looking at changing water cycles as part of the programme to improve predictions on future patterns of flood and drought in the context of climate change. The projects secured Pound 2.5 million from UK’s Natural Environment Research Council and matched resources from India’s Ministry of Earth Sciences.
Meanwhile, Willetts also announced a scholarship scheme for Indian students, the Queen’s University Belfast’s Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Scholarship Scheme. The $400,000 scholarship scheme will offer scholarships to up to 100 Indian students enrolling in post-graduate engineering, science and technology programmes in September 2012.
Belfast is known to attract the highest number of software development projects in the UK outside of London. During the visit of Willett, the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Depart of Biotechnology, India, have agreed to jointly fund a call for research proposals in the areas of bioenergy.
The synergy between UK and Indian bioenergy research offers opportunities for innovation in a number of areas underpinning the development and implementation of novel biofuels. UK will extend up to 5 million pound to each agency for projects that could help reduce dependence of India and the UK on fossil fuels. The University of Exeter has opened its representative office in India, the first such to be based in Bangalore from the UK.