Deepening academic engagement with India, England’s University of Leeds during a recent visit led by Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Shearer West, has signed six strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with premier Indian academic institutions. The MoUs include both new and renewed agreements with institutions such as the Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research (BIHER), the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee), Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV), the Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS Pilani), the Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB), and the University of Delhi (DU).
These agreements span a wide range of disciplines, including medicine, engineering, biotechnology and social sciences, reinforcing the University’s commitment to building long-term, sustainable and equitable international partnerships.
Commenting on these collaborations, Professor Shearer West, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Leeds, said, “My visit to India marks an exciting milestone in our work to foster long-term, global partnerships. The collaborations formed and renewed here are built on mutual respect, academic excellence, and a commitment to tackling shared global challenges.
These agreements reflect the breadth of our academic expertise and our commitment to engage deeply with partners across the world. India’s leadership in research, innovation, and education makes it a natural ally as we collaborate to have an impact.”
The MoU with the Regional Centre for Biotechnology which will stimulate joint research in fundamental science is complemented by a potential parallel agreement between RCB’s Bio-incubator and the University of Leeds – Nexus hub to foster industry engagement.
The MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee paves the way for deeper collaboration across sustainable energy, biotechnology, AI, and other research frontiers, while the ‘Joint Supervision Agreement’ with Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth focuses on doctoral research and clinical collaboration in medicine, allied health sciences, and health professions education.
The MoU with the University of Delhi is grounded in a series of ongoing academic interactions led by the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Leeds, which was preceded by a successful joint workshop on social science research methods held in New Delhi in April 2025.
The Leeds delegation’s visit also marked the renewal of the longstanding agreement with BITS the Birla Institute of Technology & Science Pilani (first initiated in 2016) which is now expanding under the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences to develop plans for both research collaboration and student education.
Professor Nora de Leeuw, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds commented, “BITS Pilani is a fantastic institution sharing many common interests with ourselves in student education and research. Deepening our collaborations will bring significant benefits to academic faculty staff and students from both institutions and we look forward keenly to developing our joint plans for impactful research and innovative student education.”
Renewed MoU with the Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research supports the ongoing collaboration with the Schools of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Leeds in the areas of antimicrobial resistance, public health, and community engagement.
Professor Piruthivi Sukumar, Pro Dean International for the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds said, “India is a research powerhouse and a key partner for the University of Leeds, not just in terms of academic collaboration, but also in co-producing research that is globally relevant and locally impactful. These MoUs represent our commitment to increase joint research activities with Indian partners and our continued investment in building equitable, sustained partnerships that span disciplines, institutions, and borders.”
