BIT Mesra, IIT Bhubaneswar sign agreement to strengthen research, student and faculty exchange

Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) Mesra and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar have signed an agreement to collaborate on research, academics, innovation, and institutional development. The five-year agreement, which can be extended with mutual consent, will provide a framework for joint research projects, student and faculty exchange, academic programmes, technology-driven innovation, and capacity building.

The agreement was signed by BIT Mesra Vice Chancellor Indranil Manna and IIT Bhubaneswar Director Shreepad Karmalkar. The signing ceremony was attended by BIT Mesra Dean of Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Raju Poddar, Registrar Rajesh Jain, and senior officials and faculty members from both institutions.

Manna said, "This collaboration with IIT Bhubaneswar marks another important milestone in BIT Mesra's pursuit of academic excellence, impactful research, and innovation-led growth.”

Partnership to boost research, innovation

Highlighting the objectives of the partnership, Poddar said, "Through this partnership, we aim to strengthen interdisciplinary research, create meaningful opportunities for our students and faculty, and contribute to national priorities through collaborative research, innovation, and technology development."

During the signing ceremony, Karmalkar said, "This partnership reflects the shared vision of IIT Bhubaneswar and BIT Mesra to promote collaborative research, academic excellence, and knowledge exchange. By combining the strengths of our institutions, we look forward to creating impactful research outcomes, developing innovative technologies, and preparing future leaders capable of addressing national and global challenges."

Agreement to support joint research, student exchange

Under the agreement, the two institutions will collaborate on joint supervision of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students, student exchange and internship programmes, faculty exchange, collaborative research projects, consultancy, seminars, workshops, conferences, GIAN courses, micro-credit programmes, and specialised training for faculty and staff.

The agreement also encourages joint submission of research proposals to national and international funding agencies, collaborative intellectual property creation and commercialisation, and the sharing of research expertise and infrastructure.

A joint agreement implementation committee comprising representatives from both institutions will oversee the implementation and periodically review the progress of collaborative activities.

Partnership opens new opportunities for students

According to the BIT Mesra press release, the partnership will provide its students and researchers with opportunities to undertake joint research, access IIT Bhubaneswar's research facilities, receive co-supervision for postgraduate and doctoral research, and participate in specialised academic and innovation programmes.

The collaboration is aligned with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and is expected to support multidisciplinary education, institutional partnerships, research excellence, and innovation.

The two institutions also plan to work together in strategic areas, including artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy, climate resilience, environmental sustainability, electric mobility, biomedical technologies, and other emerging technologies.

BIT Mesra said the partnership is expected to strengthen academic excellence, promote technology development, enhance interdisciplinary research, and create new opportunities for students, researchers, and faculty members while contributing to India's vision of becoming a global knowledge and innovation leader.