IIT Roorkee establishes School of data science and artificial intelligence

With a vision to cater to growing global demand for Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence experts, Indian Institute of Techlogy-Roorkee collaborated with Mehta Family Foundation (MFF), USA, to establish Mehta Family School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between two organizations was signed between Prof. Ajit K. Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee, and Rahul Mehta, Chief Executive Office, Mehta Family Foundation, USA.

Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific visor, Government of India, Prof. Sandeep Verma, Secretary, Science and Engineering Research Board. Government of India, and Dr B.V.R. Mohan Reddy, Chairman of Board of Goverrs, IIT Roorkee was also present during a virtual event held on September 27, 2021. or signatories for this collaboration included Prof. Maranjan Parida, Deputy Director; Prof. Manish Shrikhande, Dean of Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy; Prof. Narayana Pras Phy, Electrical Engineering, IIT Roorkee, and Prof. Ananth Grama, Purdue University, Indiana; Prof. Shankar Subramaniam and Prof. Rajesh K. Gupta from University of California San Diego, and Mr. Bernie Luksich, Executive Director. MFF, USA.

Expressing his views on this international acemic collaboration to dress need of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence experts, Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific visor, Government of India, said, "Artificial Intelligence research and training is key to our future. AI techlogies are critical for India and will have a significant social and ecomic impact in coming years. This international acemic collaboration between IIT Roorkee and MFF is a commendable effort to ensure that India continues on its invation trajectory.

Under this collaboration, new School will offer Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral Degree programs. School will welcome its first cohort of Bachelor's degree students in September 2022. objective of this School is to develop new and skilled manpower in areas of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence along with an aim to empower existing manpower by offering focused Training and Certifications in se fields.

Speaking during event, Prof. Sandeep Verma, Secretary, Science and Engineering Research Board, Government of India, said, "I am sure this collaboration between IIT Roorkee and Mehta Family Foundation will provide a strong oretical as well as a practical foundation to students. IIT Roorkee is pioneering in field of AI and Data Science and this MoU with Mehta Family Foundation will provide an ditional boost in creating resource centres for kwledge and information."

School will be housed in a new dedicated building at IIT Roorkee campus developed with support provided by MFF. In dition to infrastructure, rewned experts in field of AI including Prof. Ananth Grama, Prof. Shankar Subramanium, and Prof. Rajesh Gupta, will actively participate in designing curriculum, faculty recruitment, monitoring and suggesting new research ideas to Indian students of this school. se experts will also facilitate MFF’s student scholarships and faculty exchange programs to make this initiative a success.

While dressing participants, Rahul Mehta, Chief Executive Office, Mehta Family Foundation, USA, said, “AI-driven techlogies are rapidly transforming our world. Acemic collaborations like this one between International faculty and IIT Roorkee will produce individuals poised to dress such ongoing global challenges as climate change, resource sustainability, and security. We chose IIT Roorkee because of its rich history of acemic excellence and its location. I want to thank Prof. Ajit Chaturvedi and everyone at IIT Roorkee and International experts Dr. Shankar Subramaniam, Dr. Rajesh Gupta, and Dr. Ananth Grama for ir effort to create school of Data Science and AI”, ded Mehta.