The Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) has established a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Coventry University Group (CUG), UK, to enhance global research and innovation specifically in artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare. This strategic partnership aims to formalize avenues for collaborative research, academic mobility, and joint degree programs. The MoU was signed during a visit from CUG’s senior research leadership, including Prof. Richard Dashwood, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), who also proposed a joint research colloquium in a hybrid format, engaging experts from both institutions.
The collaboration primarily focuses on integrating AI and data science within healthcare contexts. Prof. Devendra Jalihal, Director of IIT Guwahati, emphasized the significance of this partnership, highlighting Guwahati’s emergence as a research hub, with established collaborations alongside partners such as AIIMS and NIPER in their health sciences and technology program. This program emphasizes crucial areas like medical devices and drug discovery. In conjunction with these initiatives, IIT Guwahati is developing a 400-bed research hospital that will facilitate close cooperation between medical experts and scientists from both the School of Health Sciences and Data Sciences.
Prof. Dashwood articulated the aim of their research, stating that it always seeks to instigate real-world changes. He noted that collaboration with institutions in India could render a profound influence on practices in AI and healthcare. This partnership is recognized as a significant development in Indo-UK academic relations, propelling both IIT Guwahati and CUG to the forefront of transformative technology in healthcare on a global scale.