BENGALURU: Top officials of the University of Illinois (UoI) of Chicago are touring several parts of India to strengthen collaborations with academic institutions and industries here.
The delegation, including the 20th president of the UoI, Professor Timothy Killeen, visited Ramaiah Group of Institutions, one of their partner institutions, to strengthen their existing collaboration — giving potential for faculty members of both institutions to collaborate on research activities.
During their visit to the institute, Killeen announced a $1 billion project of the UoI - Discovery Partners Institute (DPI), a recent innovation ecosystem where universities are working closely with research activities driven by real needs in a real world.
Killeen said the major hub that will be set up for this in downtown Chicago, would help Indian startup ecosystem “by providing soft landing in United States of America, in the heart of the market.”
Startups will also have access to expertise and will get mentored, he added. “There can be a curation aspect that will help innovation ecosystem in India optimise itself.”
The ecosystem will be a space for co-creation with interested small, medium, and large companies, and will support students and the private sector as well.
DPI, which will be a network of like-minded, high-performing world class institutions, will create new knowledge for the society, he said, adding that partnerships will help create wealth and social equity at the same time.
Ramaiah Group of Institutions is one of the 12 global partners of the UoI. Killeen said UoI is looking to create more partnerships in India and particularly Bengaluru, “the entry point for South East Asia.”
Speaking about his brainchild, the DPI, Edward Seidel, V-P for Economic Development and innovation for UoI, said, the partnerships will allow young Indian companies to grow in America.Also, the UoI is planning to establish a small office in India to have their presence here and follow up on the relationships.