BITS Pilani is looking at long-term programme with international universities and corporates. As a first step, talks have been initiated with the US-based MIT, which is expected to be crystallised in the next 24 months. Apart from international collaborations, the institute is also exploring joint partnerships with domestic companies for setting up 10 centres of excellence (CoE) in respective segments for conducting live projects and internships.
VS Rao, director, BITS Pilani, says, ?A MIT team visited us and we are in talks to have a long-term collaboration with MIT. This is part of our vision to have quick wins with long term goals.? However, the talks are still in the nascent stage but Rao pins it on the positive side as the institute enjoys a good reputation in areas of science and technology. Incidentally, the institute has been accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with a five-star ranking.
BITS-Pilani is also planning to create a research park where an industry body can create a facility inside the campus and involve students and the faculty members. It is also looking to set up an entrepreneurial park to help entrepreneurs to translate ideas into action. BITS-Pilani, Hyderabad campus is the fourth one after Pilani, Goa and Dubai, with an outlay of Rs 270 crore having modular and flexible curriculum, university-industry linkage and practice school programmes.
?Besides, we are also in the process of negotiations with domestic companies both in IT and pharmaceutical sciences and proposals have been sent to Cyprus Semiconductors, Dr Reddy?s Laboratories and the likes to help students from the final semester in their internship from all the three centres,? Rao added.
Meanwhile, GSS America Infotech, a software development and consulting company, has signed a memorandum of understanding with BITS Pilani to establish a centre of excellence to offer a platform for service alliance for long-term benefit of BITS students. Besides, it would be sponsoring top three performers for the Masters of Engineering programme offered by the institute on a yearly basis. GSS and BITS will develop global campus management system as the first product in this CoE. GSS America Infotech is eyeing transformational acquisition in the next nine months. The company has received approvals from the board to raise up to $75 million for the proposed acquisition which could be either in remote infrastructure management or security management.