Purdue President Mung Chiang shakes hands Friday with (left) Eric Garcetti, the U.S. Ambassador to India, and U.S. Senator Todd Young following the announcement of the first-ever Purdue-India Center for Education and Engagement and the US-India Semiconductor Center of Excellence, both in India. The afternoon announcement also included plans for dual and joint degree offerings and alumni engagement in India. (Photo by Purdue University/John Underwood)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University is further strengthening its educational partnership with India with the announcement of its Center for Education and Engagement in the country, as well as the creation of a Center American-Indian Excellence in Semiconductors (CES) jointly with the Indian Institute. of Technology, Hyderabad, with the support of the Governments of the United States and India. President Mung Chiang unveiled plans for the new Purdue-India Centers during a campus visit by U.S. Senator Todd Young and U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Friday (Nov. 1). After their fireside chat, Chiang officially announced the opening of the centers by signing a statement, with Young and Garcetti adding their signatures as witnesses.

This is the latest chapter in Purdue’s successful 125-year relationship with India, dating back to its first Indian students.

The Purdue-India Center for Education and Engagement will give Purdue a presence in India, including a new foundation to offer dual and joint degrees in high-demand fields including artificial intelligence, data science , semiconductors, agriculture and business. The degrees will be offered in collaboration with strategic partner institutions in India.

The center also provides a central location to further foster the long-standing partnership, providing a direct gateway for government-industry relations, strategic partnerships with Indian universities, alumni engagement and recruitment of students.

“Purdue is excited to expand our long-standing partnership with Indian institutions and companies across a wide range of disciplines, such as digital agriculture and software systems,” Chiang said. “Our new Education and Engagement Center in Delhi and the new US-India Center of Excellence in Semiconductors (CES), joint with IIT Hyderabad and supported by the governments of the United States and India India, constitute key steps towards the expansion of this project. strategic partnership, with numerous opportunities for our students and faculty and a continued elevation of Purdue’s global impact.

More than 3,000 Indian students study on Purdue’s campus – the university’s largest international student population – and the Purdue community includes more than 300 faculty, researchers and staff of Indian descent.

Friday’s announcement follows Purdue Presidential Visit to India in Septemberduring which a delegation from Purdue participated in meetings in three Indian cities with government officials, leading academic institutions and industry leaders. Discussions focused on strengthening educational collaboration, expanding joint research and development initiatives, and exploring new partnership opportunities.

“Purdue’s growing connections provide the United States and India with the tools necessary for their continued global success,” Young said. “Forward thinking like this can lay the foundation for two-way trade and investment in the technology sector, particularly in high-impact areas like semiconductors and AI. »

Garcetti received the Purdue delegation in New Delhi in September. Discussions with Garcetti and other Indian government officials that week focused on strengthening research and education cooperation and how Purdue can engage with India to advance the interests mutual in developing and safeguarding critical technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, aerospace and much more.

“Purdue has strong support in India and has also demonstrated support for Indian industry and academia,” Garcetti said. “Establishing a presence like this in India empowers students in both countries and strengthens the connections between workforce and education.” I applaud Purdue’s leadership and the institutional partnerships that contribute so much to the U.S.-India relationship.

This mutual support includes the joint participation of Purdue and India in the new US-India Semiconductor Center of Excellence (CES). Through this center, Purdue will launch the India-US Collaborative Alliance on Innovation and High Impact Partnerships in Semiconductors (INDUS-CHIPS), bringing together academic, industry and government stakeholders to address jointly tackle the major challenges of semiconductor technology, including design, manufacturing and advanced packaging. Purdue will work closely with industry leaders to develop this bilateral center of excellence, fostering joint research and workforce development initiatives.

As part of Purdue’s three land-grant pillars of research, learning and engagement, the long-standing Purdue-India partnership is helping shape future technology and education for years to come , using important connections between academia, government and industry.

Friday’s announcement is just the latest regarding Purdue and India. In May 2023, Purdue signed an agreement to become the Government of India’s flagship academic partner in semiconductors, thereby fostering joint research and development, education and talent development in this critical area.

Purdue is proud to host the Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellows (OVDF), funded by the Indian government, welcoming 25 Indian doctoral students each year to this prestigious program. Through their year-long stay at Purdue, these researchers engage in collaborative research, contribute to cutting-edge projects, and strengthen the vibrant academic partnership between India and Purdue, resulting in numerous joint publications and to impactful research advances.

Over the past decade, Purdue has also hosted an annual Purdue-India Lecture Series in India, honoring distinguished alumnus Dr. CNR Rao, recipient of India’s highest civilian honor. This annual series celebrates its legacy and fosters deep academic engagement between Purdue and India, attracting leaders and scholars to explore shared advances in science and technology.

Purdue’s initiatives in India are closely aligned with the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), launched by President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Modi to elevate and expand bilateral strategic technology partnership and industrial cooperation defense. Through efforts such as the new Purdue-India Centers, joint research programs and talent development initiatives, Purdue is committed to advancing critical and emerging technologies that support shared goals of innovation and economic growth between the two countries.

As part of Friday’s campus tour, Young and Garcetti were hosted for lunch by Chiang at his residence hall, Westwood Manor, and then toured the Birck Nanotechnology Center, home to Purdue semiconductor manufacturing research and includes the 25,000 square foot Scifres nanofabrication laboratory. clean room – among the largest university clean rooms in the country.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence on a large scale. Ranked among the top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with unparalleled quality and scale. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue in all formats and locations, including nearly 50,000 in-person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. Learn how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap – including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative – at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.