India has
signed an agreement with the UK's prestigious Cambridge University to create a
new programme of early-career fellowships in the field of biotechnology.The
fellowships, jointly funded by the Indian government's Department of
Biotechnology (DBT) and the university, were announced during a recent visit to
the varsity by minister of state for science & Technology Y S Chowdary.The
minister, who led a delegation of eminent scientists from India to attend
bilateral meetings and a worldwide conference on metallurgy last week, signed
the letter of intent with the university vice-chancellor Leszek Borysiewicz."We
are very eager to support the DBT's plans for the development of India's
research ecosystems through closer links between universities and industry,
Borysiewicz said. This is
another great example of Cambridge's commitment to enhancing its engagement
with India in ways that will strengthen the capacity for translational and
applied research in both India and the UK. The new
programme includes support for research and innovation projects in
collaboration with Indian partner institutions.One of
the main objectives is to establish a five-year fellowship for early-career
researchers from the University of Cambridge. Academics
participating in the scheme will be jointly appointed by the DBT and Cambridge.
They will
be expected to spend two years in Cambridge and three years at a partner institution
in India carrying out translational research, with a focus on commercialisation
and entrepreneurship, the university said in a release.
The agreement also includes collaboration in
the establishment of a centre for crop sciences and a wholly-owned
not-for-profit subsidiary in India by Cambridge to support wider collaborative
research between the varsity and Indian Institutions.
Source : careerindia