UK delegation discusses research proposals with PU VC
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, November 24
A British Delegation from Nottingham City Council, UK, and the University of Nottingham (UoN), today visited Panjab University and other Chandigarh Region Innovation Knowledge Cluster (CRIKC) institutions.
The delegation includes Chief Executive Nottingham City Council (NCC), David Bishop, Deputy High Commissioner, British Deputy High Commission, Chandigarh David Lelliott, Prof Hardev Singh, Cllr Nick McDonald, Sam Hopwell, Paragon Law, Thalej Vasishta, Country Advisor of UoN, Varrtika Tarun Mudaliar.
The British delegation visited the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Bio Chemistry Department, Biophysics, Bio-Technology and Microbiology of PU, IMTECH, PGI, PEC, IISER Mohali and other CRIKC institutions today. The delegation members also interacted with the faculty members and researchers.
They also visited Infosys at IT Park
The aim is to make preparations for holding joint seminars to explore the possibility of specific research proposals in February 2015.
The PU and the University of Nottingham intend to work together to apply joint projects and proposals under the recently-constituted ‘Newton Bhabha Fund’ for researchers.
The Newton-Bhabha Fund is of GBP 150 Million and the university is trying to bag two scholarships for PU scholars, said an official. Both sides intend to use the prestigious programme for the benefit of their students and researchers.
The fund will have a strong interdisciplinary dimension that will further strategise science, research and innovation cooperation between India and the UK.
Besides this, the Newton-Bhabha PhD placements programme will sponsor PhD students from India and the UK to spend a period of their study -- about three to six months -- in Indian and UK
higher educational institutions between March 2015 to March 2016. The programme will cover in-country costs, including accommodation and stipend for PhD students, Visa fees, economy class air travel and overseas travel insurance incurred by PhD
students.
“We want to encourage industry-academia links on the lines of Nottingham. In the focus should be areas such as pharmacy, energy, aerospace and psychology that are the strengths of our region,” said visiting delegation member Prof Hardev Singh.
On Sunday evening, the British delegation met UT Adviser KK Sharma, PU Vice Chancellor Prof Arun Kumar Grover, UT Finance Secretary Sarvjit Singh and UT Director Higher Education Sandeep Hans.
In the meeting, the two sides deliberated on issues of common concern and measures to increase mutual assistance and support between Chandigarh and Nottingham cities.
For the past five months, UoN, PU and CRIKC institutions are in constant touch with each other for academic collaboration between the two sides. The process for identification of research proposals of researchers and students from both the sides is in an advanced stage.
