One of the highlight outcomes of David Lammy’s first visit to India as UK Foreign Secretary last month was the UK-India Technology Security Initiative (TSI).
As part of the TSI, both governments committed to developing collaboration between the University of Manchester National Graphene Institute, the University of Cambridge Graphene Centre and the Indian Institute for Science (IISc) Bengaluru Centre for Nano Science & Engineering on advanced (two-dimensional) 2D and atomically thin materials and nanotechnology.
Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India, said: “The UK-India Technology Security Initiative will help shape the significant science and technology capabilities of both countries to deliver greater security, growth and wellbeing for our citizens.
“We are delighted to have the University of Manchester play a key part in this, particularly in our collaboration on advanced materials and critical minerals.”
The TSI will focus on boosting economic growth in both countries and tackling issues such as telecoms security and semiconductor supply chain resilience. For Manchester University specifically, the collaboration will scope joint research ventures, facilitate student and start-up exchanges, and open access to world-leading laboratories and prototyping facilities.
Professor Stephen Flint, Associate Vice-President International at the University of Manchester, said: “The launch of the Technology Security Initiative further strengthens The University of Manchester’s commitment to India as a high priority country across all our key areas of activity.
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“These include partnerships in research in science and engineering, medicine and health and humanities, involving graduate student training and shared taught course delivery.”
The University of Manchester said it is already collaborating with a number of established partners in India, which has resulted in joint PhD programmes with the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and the IISc Bengaluru, which include a number of projects on 2D materials. This year, it is celebrating its bicentenary and it recently hosted a gala celebration in Mumbai, attended by over 200 Indian alumni and representatives from our current and prospective partner organisations in the country. The university also pointed to honorary degrees to eminent Indian academic and industrial leaders including Professor C.N.R Rao and Mr Ratan Tata.
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Advanced Materials is one of the University of Manchester’s research beacons, and the institution highlights a long history of innovation in this space. In 2004, the extraction of graphene from graphite was achieved by two University of Manchester researchers, Professor Andre Geim and Professor Kostya Novoselov, with their pioneering work recognised with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010.
