The Indian Institute of Science (IISc.), Bengaluru, has partnered with the University of Melbourne in Australia for the first-ever joint PhD program in science and technology. This may be extended to medical PhD programs in the near future, said IISc. in a press release.
Representatives from the two institutions met on Friday to discuss expansion of the joint PhD program.
Under this partnership, IISc. and the University of Melbourne will support up to 10 joint PhD candidates each year for the next five years. Students enrolled in the programme can spend at least 12 and up to 24 months in each institution. To be eligible for enrolment, graduate researchers must satisfy the entry requirements for PhD candidates at both Indian Institute of Science and the University of Melbourne.
“The program is part of the Melbourne India Postgraduate Academy (MIPA), a joint initiative consisting of established researchers and joint PhD candidates from the University of Melbourne and a group of India’s top research institutions, engaging in projects that address key issues in science and technology. The program aims to offer a preview of the two institutions’ academic strengths and provide students with mentorship from global experts, enable better adaptability to new cultural and research environments, and provide access to the best facilities and resources,” stated a press release.
Professor Praveen Kumar, Chair, Office of International Relations and faculty member in the Department of Materials Engineering, IISc., said the partnership will encourage students from both IISc. and University of Melbourne to pursue interesting research projects and give them the opportunity to learn from experts at both institutions.
The program also aims to strengthen research collaborations between the two institutions. The release cited the work of Professor Udaya Parampalli at the University of Melbourne and Associate Professor Sudhan Majhi from IISc. “Together, they have established a Coding, Sensing and Communications (CSC) research network involving IISc, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, Madras and Kharagpur, India. The aim of the network, which also has links to the USA, Europe and Singapore, is to advance research in innovative applications in cyber security and communications,” stated the release.
Michael Wesley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International), University of Melbourne, said, ‘We were delighted to be the first global university partner in a joint PhD program with our colleagues at IISc. …We have been working on developing some significant research and research training projects, and it is our honour to announce the intent to extend the joint program into the fields of medicine also.”
