my uttarakhand news Bureau
ROORKEE, 10 Jan: The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) played a key initiating, facilitating and academic role in the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between the Government of Uttarakhand, India, and the Government of Brandenburg, Germany, marking a significant step towards structured state-to-state cooperation in science, technology, innovation, and capacity building.
The Joint Declaration aligns with national priorities to strengthen international academic cooperation, innovation, and skill development, while reflecting the Government of Uttarakhand’s proactive approach to global engagement in higher education and research. It outlines a framework for long-term regional collaboration through joint research, innovation, policy dialogue, and academic engagement, coordinated by IIT Roorkee and the University of Potsdam.
The JDI envisages collaboration across multiple dimensions, including the establishment of a Joint Information and Skilling Center, creation of an Industry Liaisoning Office with a focus on Indo-German start-ups, development of state-to-state joint academic programmes, including joint degree initiatives, joint research projects in identified priority technology areas, and promotion of cultural and traditional exchange between the two regions.
The cooperation will focus on key areas of mutual relevance, including disaster resilience and early warning systems; drone and digital technologies for agriculture, climate, and environmental monitoring; clean energy and the hydrogen economy; new materials and advanced manufacturing; and applications of data science and artificial intelligence in e-governance, healthcare, and cybersecurity.
A Joint Task Force, comprising representatives from both governments, IIT Roorkee, the University of Potsdam, and relevant stakeholders, will be constituted to identify priority initiatives, develop a roadmap for collaboration, and propose a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for comprehensive cooperation.
The delegations included representatives from IIT Roorkee, led by professors KK Pant, Director, along with VC Srivastava, Dean (International Relations), Ankit Agarwal; the Government of Uttarakhand, represented by Ranjit Kumar Sinha, Secretary, Technical Education, and Tripta Thakur, Vice Chancellor, Veer Madho Singh Bhandari Uttarakhand Technical University; and the German delegation, comprising Manja Schüle, Minister of Science, Research and Cultural Affairs of the Federal State of Brandenburg, Oliver Günther, President, University of Potsdam, Wolfram Berger, Vice President for Internationalization, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU), and Vera Ziegeldorf from the Ministry of Science, Research and Cultural Affairs of the Federal State of Brandenburg. The Joint Declaration of Intent, signed in the presence of IIT Roorkee and the University of Potsdam, serves as a guiding framework for strengthening regional cooperation in science, technology, innovation, and cultural exchange, and lays the foundation for future institutional and programme-based engagements.
Manja Schüle, Minister of Science, Research and Cultural Affairs of the Federal State of Brandenburg, said, “The Joint Declaration of Intent with the State of Uttarakhand represents an important step in strengthening international cooperation in science, research, and higher education. Through collaboration with academic partners such as IIT Roorkee and the University of Potsdam, we seek to foster joint research, innovation, and knowledge exchange while building sustainable and long-term partnerships between our regions.”
Ranjit Kumar Sinha, Secretary, Technical Education, Uttarakhand, stated, “The Joint Declaration of Intent between Uttarakhand and Brandenburg reflects our commitment to strengthening international cooperation in education, research, and innovation. By working closely with institutions such as IIT Roorkee and partner universities in Germany, we aim to provide meaningful opportunities for joint research, skill development, start-up engagement, and academic exchange, contributing to future-ready human capital and sustainable regional development.”
Speaking on the occasion, KK Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, said, “I am delighted to witness the signing of this important agreement of partnership—the Joint Declaration of Intent—between the state of Uttarakhand in India and Brandenburg in Germany. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the officials of both the states and faculty colleagues of IIT Roorkee and the University of Potsdam for their unwavering support and dedicated efforts in advancing the shared vision of our two governments. I believe this Joint Declaration of Intent will pave the way for many new initiatives between Uttarakhand and Brandenburg, strengthened by the collaboration of IIT Roorkee and the University of Potsdam in the fields of science and technology, while aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals and contributing to India’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047 through innovation-led, sustainable development.”
Oliver Günther, President, University of Potsdam, mentioned, “The Joint Declaration of Intent establishes a valuable framework for academic cooperation between Brandenburg and Uttarakhand. The University of Potsdam looks forward to working with IIT Roorkee to support joint research, academic exchange, and knowledge-sharing in areas of mutual interest.”
As institutions of national and international academic standing, IIT Roorkee and the University of Potsdam will support the implementation of the Joint Declaration as academic and coordinating partners, contributing to research collaboration, capacity building, and international academic engagement in line with the objectives of the framework.
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