IIT-M, German varsity mark 60-yr collaboration

Accompanied by members of the Rectorate and a distinguished delegation of RWTH scientists, the visit of RWTH Aachen University Rector highlights the extraordinary relationship between the two institutions and provides a fresh impetus to the development of new areas of cooperation.

Various events, workshops and strategic discussions are being held at IIT Madras to enhance the collaboration. Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director, IIT Madras, said, “Many important projects related to sustainability, land use, and waste management are being done at the Indo-German Centre for Sustainability (IGCS), which is an important centre of collaboration between IIT Madras and RWTH Aachen University and has grown over the years. The new focus on coastal management now is due to climate change.”

Making a presentation on IIT Madras, Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi said, “The Institute has set up 37 large centres of excellence, which involve faculty and students from various departments. IIT Madras makes nearly 1,000 projects a year collaborating with 250 Indian companies and someforeign companies.”

Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to India, Walter J Lindner, said, “We have over-population, global warming, environmental degradation and lack of resources, which can have a huge impact on the world population, which is expected to hit 11 billion. IIT Madras has come up with a solution to these problems. I am happy that Germany could contribute to the foundation of this institute sixty years ago.”