New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) India and Switzerland on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation in research and innovation at the seventh meeting of the Indo-Swiss Joint Committee on Science and Technology held in Bern.
The meeting was co-chaired by Martina Hirayama, Switzerland’s State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, and Abhay Karandikar, Secretary of India’s Department of Science and Technology, according to an official statement.
Both sides reviewed ongoing collaborations under the 2003 bilateral agreement on science and technology, which provides the institutional framework for joint initiatives, the statement said.
The discussions focussed on making more targeted use of existing support instruments and introducing new approaches to strengthen ties. Officials from both countries acknowledged the success of the partnership so far and underlined its potential for long-term expansion.
Concrete steps for implementation were agreed upon, with the next meeting scheduled to take place in India in 2027, the statement said.
Since 2010, Switzerland has operated a Swissnex office in Bengaluru to connect education, research and innovation stakeholders. Collaborative efforts have also been supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation and Indian partner agencies, which have funded more than 300 bilateral research projects since 2016.
The Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (ZHAW) or the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, commissioned by Switzerland’s education ministry, has served as the Leading House for South Asia to expand scientific engagement in the region.
In addition, more than 370 Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships have been awarded to Indian researchers since 1961, further strengthening academic and research exchanges, the statement added. PTI UZM RC
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.