From this session, the NIT-Patna students would get double guidance. Apart from their own teachers, IIT faculty members would help them shape their careers.

The IIT students would also have the same advantage. The city’s two leading engineering colleges are padding up for an academic tie-up. It would pave the path for the exchange of faculty members and research works between the two institutes.

NIT-Patna director Asok De told The Telegraph: “The two institutions would sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the exchange of faculty members.”

A source said the MoU would be signed within a week. De visited the IIT on Monday. He, the source said, had a detailed discussion on the issue with his IIT counterpart, Anil Kumar Bhowmick.

After the MoU is signed, both the institutes would be connected through the National Knowledge Network (NKN). It would give the NIT students access to the guest lectures the IIT-Patna students take part in through videoconferences.

The NKN is the brainchild of former Union human resource development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal. It is aimed at sharing of knowledge as well as specialised resources and collaborative research among scientists, researchers and students from diverse fields across the country.

A IIT-Patna student said: “We get lectures through videoconferencing under the NKN from all major IITs.”

In November 2011, NIT-Patna became the second institution of the state after the IIT-Patna to get connected to the NKN. But the tech cradle students were not being provided with guest lectures through videoconferencing regularly.

Vivek Kumar, a sixth semester student of computer science, said: “Our institute is connected with the NKN, but we don’t get the opportunity to listen to the lectures given in prominent institutes through videoconferencing.”

Hailing his institution’s move to have an academic tie-up with the IIT, Vivek said it would be a big boost to his career. “Apart from attending the classes of IIT-Patna teachers, we would be able to listen to the lectures of eminent professors through videoconferencing.”

Sources said the biggest advantage of the NIT following the academic tie-up with the IIT-Patna would be meeting the faculty shortage.

Besides the academic tie-up, NIT-Patna would start four-year integrated MTech-PhD programme from this session. Students can join the course after completing BTech.

De said: “Initially, the four-year integrated MTech-PhD programme would have two seats in each department.”

The idea behind starting the integrated MTech-PhD programme is to boost the research activities among students. NIT-Patna offers 10 MTech programmes, including environmental engineering and information technology courses slated to start this year.