IIT-Gandhinagar has signed MoUs with four universities in the US state of New Jersey for academic and research collaboration. The four universities that are partners in the memorandums of understanding with IIT-Gandhinagar are New Jersey Institute of Technology, New Jersey City University, Rutgers University and Rowan University.
The MoUs were signed during the visit of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy to India, the first ever by a sitting governor of the US state. Murphy is on a week-long trade mission with a delegation comprising of trade and education experts.
Addressing a townhall at IIT-Gandhinagar, Murphy he said diversity and empowerment of marginalized communities were Mahatma Gandhi's message as well as that of Martin Luther King Jr.
"We are stronger as a society if we include all, when everybody is at the table. If we empower people, include people, if we not just talk about diversity but live diversity. We need more women, more diversity, more races, more religions, more LGBTQ community. Whether you are in India or the US, if you ignore anyone, we are not going to be stronger society. That is certainly a lesson from Gandhi's legacy," he said.
IIT-Gandhinagar Director Sudhir Jain said, "Globalisation is one of the core pillars of IIT-Gandhinagar's educational philosophy. We are excited about partnering with some of New Jersey's leading public universities to create new opportunities for students and faculty of all our institutions for academic and research collaborations."