A pact has been signed between IIT Kharagpur (IIT-Kgp) and the University of Auckland. The collaboration between the two reputed institutes will aim at strengthening the research collaboration, facilitating academic, faculty exchange, visiting appointments, and student mobility.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the two educational establishments can explore research opportunities in new materials, artificial intelligence, cyber security and healthcare technologies.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Strategic Engagement at the University of Auckland, Jenny Dixon said that the SPARC program of India would be beneficial for the varsity and there are different research areas of common interest. The MoU also focuses on the outreach centre's scope at Auckland and IIT Kharagpur representing many reputed higher educational institutes of both the countries, he hoped.
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PP Chakrabarti, IIT Kharagpur Director said that they can coordinate with other institutes in the country with the help of a research centre, an India centre at Auckland and a New Zealand centre at IIT Kharagpur. A similar centre exists in China. The India Centre at the University of Auckland is for eight New Zealand industries, and the major focus will be on research, teaching programs and faculty exchange. There is also a possibility that the two institutes will later look at a joint B.Tech - M.Tech programme and a Dual Masters and Doctoral programmes.
Baidurya Bhattacharya, Dean, International Relations at IIT Kharagpur said that the premier institute of technology has been trying to attain global exposure to get access to in-depth knowledge in some of the major disciplines as well as get expertise across disciplines, in collaboration with some of the experts or leaders in various academic areas.
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Currently, Indian students constitute the third largest student community in New Zealand’s academic circle mostly in engineering, business and science. New Zealand offers advanced policy settings for international students. The students can apply for a 3-year work visa as soon as they complete their degree.