The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (USAC) to foster collaboration in key areas of academic, scientific, and research engagement, with a focus on space science and geospatial applications relevant to the state of Uttarakhand.

The MoU was signed by Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, and Prof. Durgesh Pant, Director, USAC, at the IIT Roorkee campus, in the presence of Prof. Sanjay H. Upadhyay, Head, Centre for Space Science and Technology, IIT Roorkee, and Dr. Priyadarshi Upadhyay.

The collaboration envisages joint initiatives in three broad domains—academic and research collaboration, joint supervision of M.Tech and Ph.D students, and co-organization of conferences, seminars, and workshops. Under this partnership, both institutions will facilitate the exchange of scientific knowledge, faculty, and technical expertise, while also promoting capacity building of scientists and researchers.

As part of the academic and research collaboration, joint research and pilot projects will be undertaken in areas such as space applications, geospatial technologies, climate change, disaster management, and natural resource management. Students of IIT Roorkee will be provided opportunities for internships, project work, and thesis research at USAC, along with exposure to relevant laboratories, subject to institutional norms and security protocols.

The collaboration will also support outreach activities, training programmes, hackathons, and workshops to promote space science and technology in the region, along with efforts to translate research outcomes into practical applications for state departments and agencies.
The MoU further provides for joint supervision of postgraduate and doctoral research. Selected M.Tech and Ph.D students will be jointly mentored by faculty and scientists from both institutions and will have access to facilities at IIT Roorkee and USAC, in accordance with academic guidelines.

Additionally, both institutions will jointly organize seminars, conferences, workshops, and short-term courses on topics of mutual interest. The modalities of participation for such programmes will be governed by separate agreements, in line with institutional policies.

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