IIT-R facilitates U’khand–Brandenburg pact to deepen Indo-German science, tech ties

DEHRADUN: Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT-Roorkee) has helped facilitate the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between the Uttarakhand government and the German state of Brandenburg to formalise cooperation in science, technology, innovation and capacity building.

The declaration provides a framework for long-term state-to-state collaboration through joint research, academic programmes, innovation initiatives and policy dialogue, with IIT-Roorkee and the University of Potsdam acting as academic and coordinating partners.

Priority areas include disaster resilience, clean energy and the hydrogen economy, drone and digital technologies, advanced materials, and applications of data science and artificial intelligence in governance, healthcare and cybersecurity. The agreement also proposes joint skilling centres, start-up linkages, joint academic and degree programmes, and cultural exchange.

A joint task force with representatives from both governments and partner institutions will identify priority projects and work towards a comprehensive MoU, officials said.

Brandenburg science minister Dr Manja Schüle said the declaration would strengthen international cooperation in research and higher education, while Uttarakhand technical education secretary Dr Ranjit Kumar Sinha said it would boost research, skills and academic exchange. IIT-Roorkee director Prof KK Pant said the partnership would drive innovation-led, sustainable development, and University of Potsdam president Prof Oliver Günther termed it a strong foundation for expanding academic cooperation.