Sci-Tech Dean Travels to India and Explores Strategic Alliances in the Region
Collaborations to expand IE’s talent network and push for academia-industry projects are underway.
Ikhlaq Sidhu, Dean of IE School of Science and Technology traveled to India and met with top industry players through IE University’s large alumni network in the region, discussing potential strategic alliances that align with the Impact Xcelerator’s mission to break academia-industry silos.
The trip, also joined by Sci-Tech Vice Dean Guillermo de Haro Rodríguez focused on increasing the school’s visibility among several educational institutions, meeting with counselors and potentially building partnerships between the schools.
"India is among the remarkably few places in the world with a young and educationally-inclined talent pool," Sidhu said. "This means that a large portion of whatever will need to be done next in the world will likely be done either in India or by people from India."
With IE alumni at Deloitte, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the deans visited the companies to discuss organizing joint industry-academia events, research projects, as well as mentorship programs that synergize knowledge sharing with the school and support India’s IE community.
As India’s largest conglomerate, Tata group connected with IE Sci-Tech to collaborate on capstone projects, Impact Xcelerator, and cybersecurity programs.
"India is right now in the spotlight, appearing in all conversations, with a stable leadership and in a growing trend,” said de Haro. “It is a reference in technical talent, top leaders worldwide are from Indian origin. We have thousands of alumni, and we enjoy working with students from the region. For the Sci-Tech School, it is one of the top places to look."
Given the school’s goal of attracting more talent, de Haro gave a masterclass on the Past and Future of AI & its Effects on Our Lives at Indus International School and Indian Institute of Science – the latter which Sidhu joined for a fireside chat.
A significant number of schools showed interest in IE Sci-Tech’s programs, while others such as RV University Bangalore and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) said they’re open to research collaborations, as well as organizing exchange and gateway programs.
IE School of Science and Technology continues to build academic alliances worldwide, enabling students to receive a three-sixty STEM education through its innovative programs, initiatives, and partnerships. It is a founding member of Rise Europe, the network of startup incubators from 14 European countries to promote technological entrepreneurship in Europe.