Purdue President Mung Chiang shakes hands with U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti (left) and U.S. Senator Todd Young on Friday following the announcement of the first Purdue-India Center for Education and Engagement and the U.S.-India Center of Excellence. Semiconductors, both in India. The afternoon announcement also included joint degree offerings in India and plans for graduate engagement. (Purdue University photo/John Underwood)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University is further strengthening its education partnership with India through the announcement of the Center for Education and Engagement in the country, as well as the US-India Semiconductors Center of Excellence established in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology. With support from the governments of Hyderabad, USA and India. Plans for the new semiconductor center, along with joint degree offerings and alumni engagement, were announced during a fireside chat with Senator Todd Young of Indiana and U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti.

This marks the latest chapter in Purdue’s successful 125-year relationship with India, dating back to its first Indian students.

President Mung Chiang announced plans for the Purdue-India centers on Friday, Nov. 1, as part of Young and Garcetti’s on-campus visit and public forum.

The Purdue-India Center for Education and Engagement will give Purdue a presence in India, including a new foundation that will offer joint degrees in high-demand fields such as artificial intelligence, data science, semiconductors and business. The degrees will be offered in collaboration with strategic partner institutions in India.

The center also provides a central location to further develop the long-term partnership; It offers a direct gateway to government and industry relations, strategic partnerships with Indian universities, alumni engagement and student recruitment.

“Purdue is excited to grow our long-standing partnership with Indian institutions and companies across a wide range of disciplines,” Chiang said. “Both our new Center for Education and Engagement in Delhi and the new US-India Semiconductors Center of Excellence, in partnership with IIT Hyderabad and supported by our Indian and US governments, are milestone steps towards expanding this strategic partnership with many opportunities for our students and faculty and “For Purdue’s global impact to continually grow.”

More than 3,000 students from India study on Purdue’s campus, the university’s largest international student population, and there are more than 300 faculty, researchers and staff of Indian origin in the Purdue community.

Friday’s announcement follows: End of September meetings series Purdue delegation in three Indian cities among Indian government officials, top academic institutions and industry leaders. Discussions focused on cooperation in education, expanding joint research and development initiatives, and exploring new opportunities.

“Purdue’s expanding connections to the United States and India provide the tools necessary for continued global success,” Young said. “Forward thinking like this can lay the foundation to encourage two-way trade and investment in the technology sector, especially in high-impact areas like semiconductors and artificial intelligence.”

Garcetti received Purdue’s delegation in New Delhi in September. Discussions with Garcetti and other Indian government officials that week focused on improving research and education collaboration and how Purdue could engage with India to advance mutual interests in the development and protection of critical technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and more.

“Purdue has strong support in India and has demonstrated its support for Indian industry and academia,” Garcetti said. “Establishing such a presence in India empowers students in both countries and strengthens workforce and educational ties. I appreciate Purdue’s leadership and corporate partnerships that contribute greatly to the U.S.-India relationship.”

This mutual support includes Purdue and India’s joint participation in the new US-India Semiconductor Center of Excellence. Purdue will actively collaborate with semiconductor industry leaders to grow this dual center of excellence with further joint research and workforce development activities.

As part of Purdue’s three land-grant pillars of research, learning and engagement, the long-standing Purdue-India partnership leverages important ties between academia, government and industry to help shape future technology and education for years to come.

Friday’s announcement is only the latest regarding Purdue and India. In May 2023, Purdue signs deal To be the flagship academic partner on semiconductors with the government of India by promoting joint research and development, training and talent development in this important field.

As part of Friday’s campus visit, Young and Garcetti toured the Birck Nanotechnology Center, which houses Purdue semiconductor and microelectronics research and includes the 25,000-square-foot Scifres Nanofabrication Laboratory cleanroom, among the largest academic cleanrooms in the country.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution that demonstrates excellence at scale. Ranked among the top 10 public universities in the United States and with two colleges in the top four, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge at unparalleled quality and scale. More than 105,000 students attend Purdue in a variety of modalities and locations, including approximately 50,000 at the West Lafayette campus. With an emphasis on affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition for 13 years in a row. See how Purdue is relentless in its persistent pursuit of the next giant breakthrough, including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes, and the One Health initiative. https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.