BITS Pilani, IIT Madras sign five-year MoU to expand academic and research collaboration

BITS Pilani and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have signed a five-year agreement to strengthen academic and research collaboration, including student and faculty exchanges between the two institutions.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at the IIT Madras campus by Professor V Ramgopal Rao, Group Vice Chancellor, BITS Pilani, and Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras. IIT Madras announced the partnership in a release issued on Wednesday.

Under the agreement, the two institutions will facilitate the exchange of students and faculty members and share academic and scholarly information, materials and publications.

The partnership will also support greater interaction between their academic communities through joint academic and research activities.

BITS Pilani and IIT Madras will jointly organize seminars, workshops and other academic meetings under the collaboration. These activities will provide faculty members, researchers and students from both institutions opportunities to engage in areas of shared academic and research interest.

Student mobility is a key component of the five-year partnership. Eligible students from BITS Pilani and IIT Madras will be able to spend a period at the partner institution for coursework, research and project work.

Students selected for the exchange will be designated as special exchange students at the host institution. They may enroll in courses offered by the partner institute either for academic credit or on an audit basis.

Participation in courses and research activities will require approval from the relevant faculty members or project supervisors. Students will also need to meet the academic prerequisites applicable to the courses or projects they seek to undertake.

The arrangement will allow students to access academic and research resources at the partner institution while continuing their enrollment at their respective home institutes.

The exchange program also provides for a tuition-fee waiver at the host institution. Students participating in the program will therefore not have to pay tuition fees to the institution they visit as exchange students.

Academic work completed during the exchange will also be recognized by the students' home institutions. Credits and grades earned at the partner institution will be considered based on the academic report issued by the host institute.

The agreement establishes a formal framework for student mobility between BITS Pilani and IIT Madras while providing mechanisms for recognizing coursework and academic outcomes completed during the exchange.

The five-year partnership will also enable both institutions to expand their academic engagement through faculty interactions, joint events and the exchange of scholarly resources and publications.