Panjab University, India
NTU has established one of its key strategic locations in the Chandigarh region of India through our partnership with the Panjab University (PU). Find out more on this page.
Strategic partnership between NTU and Panjab University
During a visit to Panjab University (PU)
NTU has established one of our key strategic locations in the Chandigarh region of India through a partnership with the highly reputed Panjab University (PU). Initially interest in this region developed as a result of Nottingham City Council (NCC)’s partnership with the Chandigarh Administration and the friendship agreement that was signed between the two cities back in 2015.
This agreement provided NTU with a framework for establishing trust and building confidence in a sustainable relationship of mutual benefit. The support of both cities’ administrations and local business communities also helped NTU to develop a wider set of relationships than just academic ones, including civic, business and cultural links.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that NTU initially signed with PU centred around the delivery of innovative research and teaching collaborations, as well as staff and student exchange opportunities. While the initial focus of this agreement was on Law and Fashion, the partnership has expanded much further to now include a number of other subject areas including Business and Science and Technology.
NTU continues to intensify its engagement with PU with the introduction of a variety of joint projects and initiatives, most notably the establishment of the PU - NTU Science and Technology Partnership Centre (STPC).
NTU Science and Technology Partnership Centre (STPC)
The STPC was created to help to foster high quality research collaboration through joint publications and grant applications, student, and staff mobility (including at the PhD level), and a Joint Symposium. NTU had committed seed funding to the STPC and PU had allocated a physical office space at the University Institute of Engineering and Technology. The STPC was supported by NTU Global and delivered through a series of online networking events with colleagues at PU. The initiative has created opportunity for both institutions to deepen mutual understanding and establish links that both NTU and PU intend to sustain through ongoing research collaboration.
Despite the challenges posed by the Pandemic, the STPC achieved significant outcomes including 9 high quality research collaborations (involving NTU’s Departments of Engineering, Chemistry, Computer Science, Sport Science, and Bioscience), the engagement of over 28 PU junior researchers and student interns, 12 joint publications and the development of external grant applications. Increased research capacity at NTU was also identified as a key benefit, which was achieved by engaging project interns at PU and also through access to unique datasets not available in the UK. Other benefits included extended international research networks and a deeper understanding of culture and research practice and administration in India.
A former PU Mechanical Engineering student, who spent time at NTU on a similar research project in 2018, returned to undertake a PhD in Additive Manufacturing for Modular Robotic System Design. This PhD, jointly funded by NTU and PepsiCo, was the first of its kind in the UK.
NTU and PU were also granted a Commonwealth Rutherford Fellowship award for joint research on additive manufacturing for medical implants. Dr Prashant Jindal, University Institute of Engineering and Technology, PU, Professor Phil Breedon ADBE and Professor John Hunt, SST) in 2018. Dr Jindal was at NTU from March to December 2018 and key outcomes of the fellowship included the development of prototypes, five joint publications and development of further proposals for research calls. Other grants include two prestigious Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) award for joint teaching at PU in genome informatics (Prof Graham Ball, October 2018) and for Fashion and Textile Design (Juliana Sissons, 2019).
Other successful collaborative activities have been in two-way staff and student mobility, joint conferences, and cultural exchange. NTU has welcomed numerous Panjab University students to its Summer School in Nottingham since the partnership was established and NTU students also attended short term mobility programmes at Panjab University. NTU and PU academics have participated in a wide range of physical and virtual joint conferences, and we have had two-way academic mobility, in Law, Management, Science and Technology which we hope to grow in the future.
NTU’s strategic relationship with PU showcases just how important collaboration with our key international partnerships can be in supporting the development of NTU’s world-class research and innovation and continuing to grow our national and international reputation.