U of T and Indian Institute of Science Sign MoU on Research And Entrepreneurship

The University of Toronto has signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, India, paving the way for increased collaborations on scientific research, entrepreneurship activities and educational opportunities.

As a premier research institute in India with world-class faculty, the IISc (pictured right) is a natural partner for U of T, said Professor Cynthia Goh, director of U of T’s Impact Centre. (Read more about the Impact Centre.)

The key aspects of the MOU include joint support for entrepreneurship activities, including co-incubating companies, mutual technical and business advisory services and cross-training student entrepreneurs.

“The mutual interest in transforming fundamental scientific breakthroughs into new products, companies and benefits to society was a significant draw for both parties in entering into this collaboration," said Goh. “We are excited to be able to work with an institution that produces an incredible amount of excellent new knowledge and counts the brightest scientists in India among their students, alumni and faculty."

“This arrangement between the University of Toronto and the Indian Institute of Science brings together some of the work’s most innovative researchers with an entrepreneurial focus and reflects the University of Toronto’s growing partnerships in India,” said Judith Wolfson, vice-president of the U of T’s University Relations.

This agreement establishes a more formal framework for various joint activities that are already in progress. It emerged last summer during events hosted by the IISc as a part of an Impact Centre-led mission to India funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade under its Going Global program.

One immediate outcome was a research proposal by Richard McAloney, director of technology management at the Impact Centre, with Professor Utpal Tatu from the Department of Biochemistry, IISc as a partner. This collaboration addressed developing a Canadian optics-based biosensing technology to detect antibiotic-resistant pathogens, a key challenge in India, and was subsequently funded through a Stars of Global Health grant awarded to McAloney by Grand Challenges Canada.

The MoU was ratified during the recent IISc Global Alumni Conference in Chicago where Impact Centre’s Goh and Dr. Venkat Venkataramanan discussed scientific entrepreneurship at the 2nd global conference of the Indian Institute of Science Alumni Association of North America (IISc AANA).