The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati welcomed a delegation from Australia to its campus on February 22. The visiting delegation, led by Australian high commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell, discussed academics, scholarships, strategic research, governance, cultural exchange, disaster management, trade and commerce, clean energy and water conservation.
IIT Guwahati director T.G. Sitharam said such collaborations were crucial for sustainable development and combating challenges posed by climate change. The major strides taken by IIT Guwahati in global ranking and the importance of the institute’s liberal arts programme were also pointed out.
Sitharam delivered a presentation on the Australia India Water Centre, Global Center for Transdisciplinary Research in Water (Tri-Water) and other initiatives such as the Master of Sustainable Water Futures, Water Matters for India – Delivering an Innovative Young Water Professional Training.
Resonating Sitharam’s views, O’Farrell underlined the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration. He said fruitful collaboration can be achieved through Maitri scholarships, strategic areas collaboration, liberal arts, cultural exchange, research grants, skilled academics cooperation and governance.
The four-member delegation from Australia included Rowan Ainsworth, Australian consul-general, Kolkata; Paroksh Prasad, first secretary to Australian High Commissioner; and Angelina Nair, senior research and visits officer, Australian consulate-general, Kolkata.
Ainsworth pointed out the opportunities for collaboration in areas of disaster management, trade and development of the North-East region. She cited the Australia India Water Centre as a great example of research collaboration.
Highlighting the importance of the liberal arts master’s programmes at IIT Guwahati, Sukanya Sharma, head of the department of Humanities and Social Sciences, said collaboration with Australian universities could be highly beneficial.