Photo Credit: IIT-Kharagpur
The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-Kharagpur) has taken a significant step in deepening its global academic footprint, as its Director, Professor Suman Chakraborty, represented India at the Falling Walls Science Summit 2025 in Berlin — a premier gathering of Nobel laureates, scientists, policymakers, and innovators.
According to institute officials on 10 November, Professor Chakraborty was the only head of an Indian academic institution invited to the summit, which serves as a global forum for breakthrough ideas shaping the future of science and technology.
Showcasing India’s frontier innovation ecosystem
Representing both IIT-Kharagpur and India, Prof. Chakraborty presented the institute’s frontier research initiatives, highlighting its vision as a global hub for interdisciplinary science, sustainable technologies, and inclusive innovation.
“It was an honour to represent India at a platform that celebrates scientific breakthroughs and collaboration,” Prof. Chakraborty said, reflecting on the experience. He noted that the summit’s spirit of shared innovation aligns with IIT-Kharagpur’s mission to “build a truly global nexus of science, technology, and societal transformation.”
Global university dialogue and high-level engagements
During the Global University Presidents’ Dialogue, Prof. Chakraborty positioned IIT-Kharagpur as a future-ready institution driving education, research, and innovation through international partnerships.
On the sidelines, he held discussions with Mr. Andreas K. Cosmidis, CEO and Managing Director of the Falling Walls Science Foundation, on future exchanges and potential hosting of global science leaders at IIT-Kharagpur.
The Indian delegation also engaged with Dr. Violeta Vázquez-Rojas, Undersecretary for Humanistic and Scientific Research, and H.E. Francisco Quiroga, Ambassador of Mexico to Germany, along with Dr. Ramanuj Banerjee, Science Counsellor at the Indian Embassy in Berlin, exploring avenues for India–Mexico cooperation in science and technology.
Further, interactions with leaders from FAIR and DESY—Germany’s premier research facilities—reaffirmed IIT-Kharagpur’s Platinum Jubilee MoUs focused on advanced scientific collaborations.
New Indo-German partnership with Rhine-Main Universities
In a parallel development, IIT-Kharagpur has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rhine-Main Universities (RMU), a strategic academic alliance comprising leading German institutions, to foster joint research and academic cooperation.
The agreement, signed at TU Darmstadt, Germany, was witnessed by Prof. Chakraborty and Dr. Ramanuj Banerjee, Science Counsellor at the Indian Embassy in Berlin.
The collaboration will pave the way for faculty and student exchanges, joint research proposals, PhD training, and academic networking, as well as participation in RMU’s international platform ‘RM Universe’ — a network that supports global partnerships, fellowships, and collaborative projects.
A new phase in Indo-German scientific collaboration
“This partnership marks a new chapter in the Indo-German scientific alliance,” the institute said in a statement, describing it as a “confluence of IIT-Kharagpur’s innovation-driven ecosystem and the Rhine-Main Universities’ research strengths.”
Officials noted that the five-year agreement will catalyse joint projects, workshops, and early-career researcher mobility, helping nurture globally oriented innovators equipped to tackle future challenges.
