Indian Institute of Technology Madras - Other academic activities

Academic research programs

The Institute has several departments and advanced research centres across the disciplines of engineering and the pure sciences, and nearly 100 laboratories. A faculty of international repute, a brilliant student community, excellent technical and supporting staff, an effective administration, and its successful and global alumni have all contributed to the preeminent status of the institution.

Research programs concern work undertaken by faculty members or specific research groups within departments that award an MS or PhD degree. Research is carried out by scholars admitted into these departmental programmes, under the guidance of their respective faculty. Each department makes known its areas of interest to the academic community through handbooks, brochures and bulletins. Topics of interest may be theoretical or experimental. IIT Madras has initiated 16 inter-disciplinary research projects against identified focus areas.

The rigors of academic study at each level are balanced with a number of other related co-curricular activities. Special lectures on diverse topics of academic relevance are held under the Extramural Lecture Series. A number of conferences, symposiums and workshops are organized by the faculty, attracting scholarly participation from around the world.

[edit] Partnership with other universities

The Institute maintains academic friendship with several other educational institutes around the world through faculty exchange programs. The Institute has signed Memoranda Of Understanding (MOUs) with several foreign universities, resulting in cooperative projects and assignments of mutual benefit.

The faculty of the Institute have distinguished themselves through academic awards from national and international organizations.

[edit] Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research

IIT Madras has set a fine example in the country for institutional interaction with industry, through consultancy services offered by the faculty. Innovative ideas are put to practice in many projects sponsored by other institutions in India.

Through industrial consultancy, faculty and staff undertake specific assignments for industry that may include project design, testing and evaluation, or training in new areas of industrial development. Interested industries and organisations request IIT faculty to undertake specific assignments channeled through the Center For Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (ICSR).

National organisations sponsor specific programs of research by funding projects undertaken by the faculty. Such research is time bound and allows project participants to register for a degree. Project proposals are usually prepared by IIT faculty and forwarded to interested organisations, based on the nature of their research and their interest to fund such projects.

Sponsored projects are often vehicles for new resources within departments, and often permit their project staff to register for academic degrees in the institute. All sponsored research activities at the institute are coordinated by ICSR.

NEXT ---