Cooperation in research and science between Brandenburg and Uttarakhand

Prof. Oliver Günther, President of the University of Potsdam, Prof. Wolfram Berger, Vice President for Internationalisation of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) and Prof. Axel Bronstert (UP), as well as Prof. Tripta Thakur, Vice Chancellor of Veer Madho Singh Bhandari Uttarakhand Technical University, Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roor. Tripta Thakur, Vice Chancellor of Veer Madho Singh Bhandari Uttarakhand Technical University, Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant, Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, Prof. Vimal Chandra Srivastava and Prof. Ankit Agarwal (both from IIT Roorkee).

Science Minister Dr Manja Schüle: "We see it every day: the world is changing rapidly. And we are facing challenges that require global solutions and international cooperation. Science and research are key to this. That's why our cooperation agreement signed today is so important, both to fund innovation and entrepreneurship and to build bridges between our cultures and societies. Indian students and researchers are already playing a major role at Brandenburg's universities and research institutions: Their contributions are visible in almost all disciplines. I am convinced that with smart cooperation in areas such as disaster management, sustainable agriculture, clean technologies, new materials, Computer Science or Environmental Sciences, we can utilise the potential of our universities and research institutions even better - and benefit from each other! The agreement is a clear commitment to future-oriented, sustainable and inclusive scientific cooperation with exciting prospects for the development of joint projects. I am confident that we will achieve a lot together!"

Prof. Dr Wolfram Berger, Vice President for Internationalisation at BTU: "The Joint Declaration of Intent opens up new prospects for our university to expand international cooperation in India. In particular, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, which is located in the Uttarakhand region, has strong interdisciplinary overlaps in all of BTU's profile lines. With over 20 departments, it offers an excellent basis for joint activities in research and teaching and at the same time emphasises the strategic importance of India as a partner of the BTU. This was also impressively demonstrated by my personal visit in March 2025 and the constructive discussions on site."

India is an important partner forthe Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU ) in the context of internationalisation. The close and dynamic collaboration is reflected in cooperation with Indian universities in research and teaching. It is characterised in particular by bilateral mobility of students and scientists and includes joint future-oriented research projects in the four profile lines: Global Change and Transformation Processes, Energy Transition and Decarbonisation, Health and Life Sciences, Artificial Intelligence and Sensor Technology. With currently 1,254 students and around 32 per cent of all foreign students at BTU, India is the largest international student group.

Prof. Dr Oliver Günther, President of the University of Potsdam: "The agreement between the two states of Brandenburg and Uttarakhand is a good example of foreign science policy in practice. It documents the solidarity between India and Germany in difficult political times, and it will make a significant contribution to intensifying the good scientific contacts and the exchange of researchers and students. This will also help to counter the shortage of skilled labour, as Indian students often stay in the country after their final degree and become highly qualified employees and managers in our companies and universities."

Through the University of Potsdam, the BTU, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences,the state of Brandenburg maintains relationships with numerous Indian scientific and research institutions. The focus is on geology, hydrology, Computer Science, new materials and clean energy. The agreement creates a comprehensive basis for cooperation at country level, for example in research, in the Transfer of Knowledge and Technology, in start-up development or in the recruitment or transfer of skilled labour. The aim is to establish long-term cooperation in the research areas of disaster risk reduction and early warning systems, data science and artificial intelligence, digital technologies, clean energy and hydrogen economy as well as new materials and innovative manufacturing.

Uttarakhand is a state in the north of India with a population of around ten million and numerous leading scientific institutions, particularly in the field of mathematics and natural sciences. The Indian Institute of Technology in Roorkee, founded in 1847, is the oldest university of technology in India and today one of the best technical universities in the country.