The University College London (UCL) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have launched a new phase of their strategic partnership to expand innovative work together in healthcare. The two institutions have signed a ‘Letter of Intent’ to facilitate closer collaboration across research, education, innovation, and commercialization.
This partnership aims to co-create significant new research capability in areas such as basic and clinical sciences, applied engineering, and clinical practice. Professor Govindan Rangarajan, Director of IISc, and Dr Michael Spence, President & Provost of UCL, are leading the effort. The collaboration will focus on future-focused interdisciplinary areas like digital health, quantum tech, AI, and medicine.
This partnership builds upon a long history of collaboration between UCL and India, dating back to 1900 when Sir William Ramsay, a UCL professor, consulted on the formation of IISc.
Strengthening Global Healthcare through Strategic Partnerships
The University College London (UCL) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, have taken a significant step forward in their strategic partnership to advance innovative work in healthcare. The two institutions have signed a ‘Letter of Intent’ to facilitate closer collaboration across research, education, innovation, and commercialization. This partnership aims to co-create pioneering new approaches to healthcare by leveraging the strengths of both institutions.
The letter, signed on November 18, 2024, marks a new phase in the UCL-IISc partnership, focusing on creating significant new research capabilities together in areas such as basic and clinical sciences, applied engineering, and clinical practice. This collaboration will empower education and innovation in medical research and healthcare, aligning with IISc’s efforts to build world-class post-graduate programs at its upcoming medical school.
Professor Govindan Rangarajan, Director of IISc Bengaluru, emphasized the importance of this partnership, stating that it will enable cutting-edge research in new and emerging areas. Dr. Michael Spence, President & Provost of UCL, added that this next phase of their partnership will create significant new joint research capabilities in healthcare-focused AI, quantum tech, and robotics, as well as develop educational collaborations to train the physicians of the future.
Fostering Interdisciplinary Research and Education
The UCL-IISc partnership will establish a joint working group to explore several potential collaborative initiatives across future-focused interdisciplinary areas such as digital health, quantum tech, AI, and medicine. This collaboration will lead to new programs, leveraged together through external funding, including collaborative PhDs, sharing health system best practices, faculty exchange, and research fellowships.
The partnership will also facilitate the development of educational collaborations, enabling the training of physicians who can effectively address the complex healthcare challenges of the future. By bringing together researchers from across disciplines, UCL and IISc aim to empower education and innovation in medical research and healthcare.
Building on a Legacy of Collaboration
UCL has a long history of collaboration with India, dating back to the early 20th century. Sir William Ramsay, a UCL Professor of Inorganic Chemistry, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1904 and played a significant role in the formation of IISc in Bengaluru. His co-workers, Professor Morris William Travers FRS and Sir Alfred Gibbs Bourne, both UCL alumni, went on to become the institute’s first and second directors.
This latest development strengthens UCL’s longstanding partnership with IISc, consolidated through a recent joint funding scheme that has supported academics from both institutions to collaborate in fields such as equitable urban design, liver tissue engineering, and quantum technologies. The partnership demonstrates the commitment of both institutions to advancing healthcare through innovative research and education.
Leveraging Strengths for Global Impact
The UCL-IISc partnership will create a framework for collaboration that can lead to significant new joint research capabilities in healthcare-focused AI, quantum tech, and robotics. By leveraging the strengths of both institutions, this partnership aims to make a meaningful impact on global healthcare challenges.
Through their collaborative efforts, UCL and IISc hope to empower education and innovation in medical research and healthcare, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes for individuals around the world. This partnership serves as a model for international collaboration, demonstrating the potential for strategic partnerships to drive progress in critical areas such as healthcare.
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