- La Trobe University, Australia, Vice-Chancellor Theo Farrell, reinforces collaboration with Indian partners to enhance educational and research ties during his visit to India
La Trobe University, Australia, Vice-Chancellor recently convened several roundtable discussions with Partners, Industry and Government Representatives, on opportunities to collaborate on areas of mutual interest that address national priorities and that are important for Industry Innovation and Development. Opportunities for further collaboration were discussed at a leadership roundtable of ASCRIN member universities.
The university has identified key areas for strengthening its commitment to Indian Research and Education partnerships by continuing to support and expand student exchanges in India and Australia by developing research focused on digital technologies and skills innovations; research commercialisation opportunities and linkages with industry partners. University strengths in areas including smart cities, sustainable agriculture and food security, bio innovation and health and care innovation.
In conversation with BW Education, Theo Farrell described the ‘Shah Rukh Khan PhD Scholarship of $225,000 (AUD) to aid female Indian researchers who aspire to make a significant global impact and shared the moment when Shah Rukh Khan was awarded an honorary doctorate by the university for his significant contributions to women’s empowerment through the Meer Foundation (a non-profit organisation owned by Shah Rukh Khan focuses on the rehabilitation of Acid Attack survivours).
La Trobe University’s Melbourne Campus has been chosen by BioNTech for a new mRNA manufacturing facility for cancer treatments. ASCRIN brings a network of researchers, global industry partners, government collaborators and start-ups to advance research into smart city-related projects, helping to improve the sustainability, liveability and efficiency of cities and towns in the region.
Theo Farrell and Shankar Das, Pro Vice Chancellor of TISS, also announced a Joint- PhD programme, which will support Indian students to conduct research addressing the growing challenges of urbanisation in Asia.
The Network is working on over 50 projects in India, aimed at improving dairy supply chains, reducing landfill waste, optimising energy grids, improving indoor growing conditions for medicinal crops and enhancing safety on urban roads and intersections through real-time crash prediction. These initiatives aim to make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
The Tata Institute of Social Science, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani are partners in the Network, which includes over 250 researchers and 70 Joint-PhD projects. The La Trobe’s delegation will celebrate the winners of the Annual Technology Infusion Grand Challenge, encouraging undergraduate students to use next-generation smart technologies to solve problems. Over 130 students from 18 universities submitted innovative entries.
Theo Farrell will visit Mahindra University, where La Trobe launched a joint Bachelor’s degree programme in civil engineering in 2023, aligns with India’s National Education Policy 2023 and Australia’s Education Strategy for India, offering a unique opportunity for students to pursue their Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with two years at Mahindra University and two years at La Trobe University. Students will receive a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from both Universities.
