India and Germany have been working closely together for decades. Since the Indian education campaign in 2018, far-reaching higher education reforms have been implemented to improve the quality of research and teaching, and extensive funding programs were launched to internationalize universities. Thus, the partnership between the two countries has greatly intensified, especially in the areas of education and research. More precisely, the cooperation takes place on three levels:

• exchange of students and scientists,
• bilateral funding of research projects and innovation partnerships,
• networking of German and Indian scientists through workshops, conferences or expert delegations to promote joint research projects

Also, TU Dresden considers India to be an outstanding sphere of activity with its growing education sector (second largest group of incoming students), and aims at accompanying sustainable transformation processes in the country's technology-strong sectors in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, TUD strives to advance technology transfer on a global scale. Therefore, the focus of the activities with India is on collaboration in line with TUD’s profile and potential areas with a significant transfer relevance in order to increase the impact of TUD in business and society. This includes active networking in the Indo-German scientific community as well as expanding joint research projects and new collaborations in profile and potential areas, especially with the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT).

TUD builds on already existing cooperation and networks in research and teaching:

• research collaborations in hydrology, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical and information engineering, information systems engineering, economics, vocational education especially with the IIT's in Madras, Delhi, Roorkee, Kanpur, and Bombay
• membership in the Indian-Europe Network to promote collaborations in engineering HERITAGE with seat in the Steering Committee (Ercan Altinsoy)
• structured student exchange with IIT Madras, IIT Mandi (KOSPIE); University of Hyderabad (Humanities and Social Sciences)

In addition, the cooperation of German Technical Universities with IIT's under the TU9-IIT agreements allows Master's students from India easier access to DAAD funded scholarships for research stays in Germany.

With the ABCD Centre and the COMPOLL project, the TUD is also an active partner in alliances that conduct research and teaching on climate and environmental protection, involving local actors in politics, business and civil society for a successful transfer of knowledge and technology:

COMPOLL

Combating Environmental Pollution through Internationalisation of Education

© IIT Delhi

Led by the Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology (ILK) and involving an interdisciplinary group of scientists at IIT Delhi, COMPOLL seeks to better understand the challenges, shortcomings and solutions related to environmental awareness in Germany and India.

The project builds on existing research links with IIT Delhi in the fields of mechanical engineering and computer science, focusing on resource efficiency and sustainable systems, products, processes and materials. In addition to the development of joint innovative approaches to waste reduction, recycling and the use of bio-based materials, the focus is on student engagement, including joint mentoring, joint teaching and enhanced mobility opportunities.

For the period from 2020 to 2024 the project is being funded by the DAAD Passage to India program with support from the Indian University Grants Commission (UGC) and the BMBF.

Further information and contact persons can be found on the ILK website.

ABCD-Centre

ABCD (Aachen - Bangkok - Chennai - Dresden)

The Global Water and Climate Adaptation Centre brings together the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at TU Dresden with partners at RWTH Aachen University (Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management), IIT Madras (Department of Ocean Engineering), the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok (School of Engineering & Technology) and UNU-FLORES in Dresden.

At the initiative of the partners, the Center has been established in 2021 to focus on climate change adaptation measures in the Global South, particularly in the water sector. Research on water security and climate adaptation with the goal of a Global Hub are understood as scientific and societal challenges.

Scientists collaborate across disciplines in three thematic clusters:

• water security, water resource management, reliable supply of potable water and water treatment
• ecosystem resilience and nature-based adaptation measures
• traditional knowledge, local economies and social acceptance

In addition to research and joint teaching (Joint Msc "Water Security and Global Change" in planning), there is very great potential to collaborate with India in the transfer sector. In this case, climate change-affected stakeholders and communities that are tasked with implementing adaptation strategies are involved in the development processes.

With funding from the German Federal Foreign Office, the DAAD is supporting the center with 2.8 million euros for a period from May 2021 to December 2025.

Further information as well as contact persons can be found on the website of the ABCD-Centre and the website of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the TU Dresden.

In October 2023 the DAAD, in colloboration with TU Dresden, published guidelines for student exchange and joint double / double degree programs specifically in cooperation with India.