India reaches out to diaspora for science & tech boost

Aiming to connect the Indian diaspora with Indian researchers, the Indian government has reached out to Indian American academia for collaboration in futuristic technologies like cyber-physical systems, quantum, hydrogen and electric mobility.

Highlighting the internationalisation of the Indian education system, it has also invited US universities to set up campuses in India, according to a release from India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST).

The Ministry of Science and Technology said DST has had several dialogues with the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy on developing bilateral scientific cooperation.

“Given the constraints and cultural differences in research ambience of two countries, we can work through mutual collaborations with the help of government initiatives like VAJRA (Visiting Advanced Joint Research), SPARC (Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration),” said DST secretary Prof. Ashutosh Sharma.

An online portal called PRABHASS – Pravasi Bharatiya Academic and Scientific Sampark – has also been launched to connect the Indian diaspora with Indian academic and research institutes as part of the wider collaborative mission.

During a recent interaction with the DST, the Indian diaspora suggested that frequent actions need to be taken on collaborations along with set timelines and defined focus areas.

It was proposed that upgrading the healthcare system and promotion of medical sciences and technical education to develop cooperation in certain focus areas such as healthcare, artificial intelligence machine learning and agriculture should be prioritised.