The University of Wollongong (UOW) and India’s  industrial research and development organisation, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will work together to advance research collaborations and establish a dedicated CSIR Research and Development Centre at UOW’s Innovation Campus.

 

CSIR is India’s largest research and development organisation with nearly 40 laboratories and 50 field stations and a collective staff of more than 17,000.

 

The arrangement between UOW Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Wellings, and Director - CSIR National Physical Laboratory Professor Ramesh C Budhani on behalf of CSIR, was entered into as part of a two-day visit to Wollongong by a delegation from India led by the Director-General of CSIR, Professor Samir K Brahmachari. It also included Director CSIR - National Metallurgical Laboratory, Dr S Srikanth and Director CSIR – Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Dr Vijayamohanan Pillai.

 

Over the coming months the University and CSIR will develop research and development collaborations in areas including advanced steel metallurgy, lithium-ion batteries, super capacitors and polymer-based nano-composites.

 

Both organisations will also negotiate arrangements for the establishment of a CSIR Research and Development Centre on the Innovation Campus to work closely with the University’s research groups housed in the Australian Institute for Innovative Materials and to develop an academic exchange program for staff and students.

 

The attraction of India’s premier research organisation to the University’s Innovation Campus is welcomed and enhances its reputation as a global centre for world-class research collaborations.

 

Professor Wellings said that the relationship between the University and CSIR will make a substantial contribution to the future success of both organisations.

 

“This is a very exciting partnership that will allow the University and CSIR to advance our areas of mutual research interest through collaborations and through CSIR’s presence on the Innovation Campus.

 

“It adds to the University’s growing relationships with India, providing a strong research relationship with India’s premier research organisation to build on our relationships with Indian businesses, students and researchers,” Professor Wellings said.

 

Professor Brahmachari said that CSIR scientists from various laboratories already have ongoing collaborative research projects with other Australian research institutions. The partnership with the University of Wollongong, with a focus on innovation, would contribute to CSIR’s long standing vision to provide affordable health, low cost energy solutions and sustainable development for millions of people in India and in the world who need affordable science and technology solutions.

 

“When the delegation from the University, led by UOW Ambassador and former Australian cricket captain Mr Adam Gilchrist, visited CSIR in December last year we highly appreciated the academic strength of the University and the state-of-the-art facilities that were available on the Innovation Campus,” Professor Brahmachari said.

 

“We strive for global scientific impact and an important part of that is the development of a CSIR presence in the Asia-Pacific region. The Innovation Campus, the strength of the research staff and the University’s multi-disciplinary approach to research provide an excellent base to strengthen our long-term scientific objectives ,” Professor Brahmachari said.

 

Mr Gilchrist, who helped initiate discussions between the two organisations, said that the agreement would mark the start of a great transnational research partnership.

 

“This partnership will bring world-leading scientists from both organisations together in the exciting area of future materials – with a partnership of this strength the future is limitless,” Mr Gilchrist said.