The University of Queensland-IIT Delhi collaboration is projected to produce around 360 PhD candidates

While the programme would be jointly supervised by faculty members from both IIT and UQ, what's more, exciting is that it also provides the opportunity to study in Australia on a full scholarship
Terms of Collaboration-General Research or Teaching
Terms of Collaboration-General Research or Teaching

The University of Queensland (UQ) is a very renowned institution on an international scale recently partnered with Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) with a vision to set up a joint research academy to lay the foundations of research and entrepreneurship for potential candidates. In a chat with Edex, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External management) of UQ Rongyu Li elaborated on the advantages of the partnership, explaining that with the level of intellectual capacity in India and the growth of the flagship sector, the partnership would be able to produce close to 360 PhD candidates in the next six years. While the programme would be jointly supervised by faculty members from both IIT and UQ, what's more, exciting is that it also provides the opportunity to study in Australia on a full scholarship basis and vice-versa. Excerpts:

Advancement in education: While the programme would be jointly supervised by faculty members from both IIT and UQ, what's more, exciting is that it also provides the opportunity to study in Australia on a full scholarship basis and vice-versa

How is your PhD programme different from those offered by other universities?

Since students are subject to the completion of their respective PhD programmes in Queensland, Australia, we encourage students to be open to cross-culture learning and academic excellence at the same time. We aim to equip leaders in the knowledge economy for both India and the world. We have equipped leaders in the past and we can proudly say that we have our students supervised by the best academics in the world.

What is the eligibility criteria for your scholarships?

The criteria laid down for students is very stringent and it is up to IITD to shortlist the best candidates for the same. The criteria used to select the Australian students will be used for Indian students as well. The shortlisted students will then be taken to Australia to complete the programme with every expense taken care of by the University. We will ensure that the students' food, accommodation and flight expenses are taken care of.

Will UQ look at partnering with other educational institutions in the near future?

Once we establish the UQ-IIT Delhi Research Academy, we will look forward to building relationships with other institutions as associate partners. We are working with other institutions on building teaching relationships through various programmes as of now.

Does this programme lead to global career opportunities?

These students will be sought after on a global scale because of the area of expertise provided by the joint programme. Although we would prefer them to contribute to the development of India, they will in high demand in the global labour market.

How does this programme encourage entrepreneurship? 

Based on a survey that UQ had conducted recently, it was made known that more than 60% of the student population desired to have their own start-up. Hence, the University decided to encourage and provide funding for the same. As part of our curriculum, we have initiated the concept of an Idea Hub which encourages students with ideas to be a part of an entrepreneurship training programme. Their ideas are then tested for viability, following which they go through a process of germination with close mentorship provided by industrialists and leading entrepreneurs. These students are even sent to innovation hubs like Singapore and Shanghai for training and development from international entrepreneurs.

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