JICA FRIENDSHIP scholarship programme for IIT-H graduates

Hyderabad: A one-day academic fair was organized under the aegis of JICA-FRIENDSHIP project at the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IITH) to highlight opportunities for research and study at the internationally renowned universities of Japan.

JICA-FRIENDSHIP project has been initiated by Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, to facilitate development of a research network between institutions of higher learning and industrial clusters in Japan with IITH that would lead to excellence in education and applied research in science and engineering.

FRIENDSHIP connotes Future Researchers at IITH to Enhance Network Development with Scholarship of Japan. Under the project, scholarships are offered to graduating students of IITH to pursue PhD at internationally renowned universities in Japan, such as Tohoku University, University of Tokyo, Keio University, Waseda University, Nagoya University, Kyoto University, Ritsumeikan University, Osaka University and Kyushu University.

During the Academic Fair, faculty members from the Japanese universities shared with the students at IITH the scope for applied research and study, and the academia-industry linkages at the universities where such research is seamlessly applied for industrial development. Also, special lectures were delivered by Prof. Reiji Suda from the University of Tokyo and Prof. Satoru Kawasaki of Hokkaido University on the research frontiers.

Chaitanya Kulkarni who graduated as Masters student from Keio University in 2015 and Swapnil Ghodke, II year PhD student from Nagoya University who have received the scholarship in the previous years shared their experience of studying in Japan. Speakers at the Academic Fair also included Mr. Daisuke Kodama, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan in India, Mr. Yukio Takeyari, Chairman, Sony India Software Center, Prof. Yukihiro Kubo, Ritsumeikan University, and Dr. Vinod Janardhanan, Associate Dean International Relations IIT Hyderabad.

JICA is extending integrated support to IITH through ODA (Official Development Assistance) loan of JPY 23,035 million (approx. Rs 1,336 crore) for its campus development, joint research collaboration, and academic exchanges to develop new methodology of technical innovation as well as respond to the needs from the industrial sector.

JICA’s support is facilitating development of a research centrecomplex, technology incubation park and an international convention centre on the campus, procurement of laboratory equipment for thesefacilities and for the various engineering departments, among other initiatives.