Hyderabad’s long-standing ties with Germany in chemical sciences took a significant step forward as the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Hyderabad (TIFR-H) officially partnered with Germany’s Heidelberg University (HU) on Monday.
The initiative, named Heidelberg-Hyderabad Hub in Advanced Chemical Education (H3ACE), aims to strengthen academic and research collaborations between the two countries, bringing together leading institutions to advance chemical research and innovation.
German Researchers Join Indian Counterparts in Hyderabad
The partnership commenced with a five-day school on Computational Chemistry at IIT-H, attended by Heidelberg University’s vice presidents Andreas Dreuw and Katja Patzel-Mattern, along with five professors and 17 Master’s students from Germany. They joined 17 professors and 40 students from institutions such as IIT-H, TIFR-H, the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, and the University of Hyderabad.
Addressing the press, G. Narahari Sastry, Dean of Sponsored Research & Consultancy at IIT-H, highlighted that the collaboration would expand further with more German universities joining Hyderabad’s research ecosystem. “Usually, it is Indians going to Germany, but we want Germans to come to Hyderabad and learn with us. IIT-H will give HU an office on the campus to set up the hub,” he said.
Chemistry as a Bridge Between Disciplines
According to TIFR-H Director M. Krishnamurthy, chemistry serves as a crucial link between physics, biology, computer science, and medicine, enabling an interdisciplinary approach to solving societal challenges. Having previously conducted research in Heidelberg, Krishnamurthy emphasized Hyderabad’s prominence in chemistry and its leadership in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. “The Hyderabad collaboration is a remarkable one, particularly in view of the city’s unique interest in Chemistry, the institutes, and as the industry leader in the country for bio and pharma,” he observed.
Industry and Government Support for Indo-German Partnership
H3ACE aims to bridge academia and industry, facilitating research-driven innovation. As an initial step, the program has proposed a meeting with industry leaders and Telangana State government officials on Tuesday. IIT-H Director B.S. Murty described H3ACE as a model for interdisciplinary collaboration, addressing global challenges while strengthening existing. Indo-German academic ties through programs such as the DAAD exchange and partnerships with universities like the University of Siegen and Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg.
Telangana’s Special Chief Secretary (ITE&C) Jayesh Ranjan affirmed the state’s support for the initiative, emphasizing that it would foster research collaboration and provide students with hands-on training in cutting-edge chemical sciences.
AI and Computational Chemistry at the Core
The ongoing five-day Computational Chemistry school features experts from India and Germany discussing computational tools for real-world challenges. The program aims to familiarize students with advanced theoretical and practical aspects of chemistry, while also charting a roadmap for AI-driven innovations in computational drug design, electrochemistry, and quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPR). With this partnership, Hyderabad is set to become a key global hub for Indo-German research collaboration in advanced chemistry.
