IISc & UCL Forge Partnership to Advance Medical Research & Education

The collaboration aims to co-create significant research capabilities across various fields, including basic and clinical sciences, applied engineering, and clinical practice.

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and University College London (UCL) have signed a Letter of Intent to strengthen collaboration in research, education, innovation, and commercialization.

This partnership will specifically support IISc’s forthcoming postgraduate medical school. The agreement, signed on November 18 at the IISc campus, marks a new chapter in the IISc-UCL relationship.

The collaboration aims to co-create significant research capabilities across various fields, including basic and clinical sciences, applied engineering, and clinical practice.

“We are delighted to build on our collaborations with UCL to carry out cutting-edge research in new and emerging areas. Our joint efforts will empower education and innovation in medical research, aligning with our vision for world-class postgraduate programs at our medical school,” said Prof Govindan Rangarajan, Director of IISc.

Key Areas of Focus

The partnership will prioritize interdisciplinary research in healthcare-focused AI, quantum technologies, and robotics.

UCL President and Provost Dr Michael Spence highlighted the shared vision: “This next phase of our partnership will create significant joint research capabilities and educational collaborations to train the physicians of the future.”

To explore potential initiatives, IISc and UCL will establish a joint working group. Proposed activities include collaborative PhD programs, faculty exchanges, research fellowships, and the sharing of health system best practices.

The partners aim to leverage external funding to develop innovative programs and further their commitment to advancing medical research, education, and innovation.

This collaboration is set to play a pivotal role in addressing future healthcare challenges through groundbreaking research and transformative education.

In another development, recently IISc launched a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Ayurveda focused on developing alternative treatments for diabetes and metabolic disorders.

The CoE, established with an initial grant of INR 52.47 Cr under the Ayurswasthya Yojana program, seeks to combine Ayurveda's traditional wisdom with modern scientific approaches to develop innovative solutions for chronic health conditions such as diabetes.

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