Joint research projects and collaborative PhD programmes will be at the heart of a new science hub being launched by Imperial College London in India.

The top-ranked university hopes the new initiative ¨C which is being backed by UK foreign secretary David Lammy ¨C will foster deeper collaboration on science between the?two countries.

Based in Bengaluru, the hub, to be known as Imperial Global India, will initially support up to 25 joint research projects every year between Imperial and partners in India in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum science, biotech and clean energy.

It will also offer a scholarship programme for 75 Indian scientists over the next five years and a collaborative PhD programme with the Indian Institute of Science that will allow UK and Indian PhD students to work together on joint research projects.

91ÇÑ×Ó

Lammy said that ¡°education lies at the heart of the UK¡¯s relationship with India¡± as it ¡°unlocks opportunities that benefit both countries¡±.

He said the hub ¨C officially launched at a ceremony on 21 May ¨C would make ¡°critical contributions¡± to the UK¡¯s closer work with India on developing new technologies, set out in the UK-India Technology Security Initiative, agreed in July 2024.

91ÇÑ×Ó

¡°These new partnerships will further create a dynamic two-way flow of ideas and talent to drive shared prosperity and address global challenges in areas ranging from health and climate to telecoms, AI, quantum, biotech and critical minerals,¡± Lammy added.

Several universities have moved to set up presences in India in recent months, but most have concentrated on creating branch campuses to teach local students, with little focus on research.

Imperial has pursued a strategy of rapid international expansion in recent years, setting up hubs in Singapore, Ghana and San Francisco under the ¡°Imperial Global¡± banner.

The university already had a strategic partnership with the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, that supports joint research projects in several scientific areas.

91ÇÑ×Ó

UK science minister Patrick Vallance said the university was building a ¡°formidable global network¡­across the world¡±. He said that ¡°science is international by definition¡±, which was ¡°especially true for the UK and India, where deep links in areas like life sciences are bolstered by our deepening trade relationship, and our unique historical and cultural bonds¡±.

Vallance said the expansion of Imperial into Bengaluru will ¡°enable its international community of students, researchers and innovators to work with their India-based counterparts, on efforts that could drive growth, unlock investment, and deliver breakthroughs from health to energy, and beyond¡±.

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com