A high-level delegation from IIT Bombay visited the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), marking a significant step forward in the long-standing relationship between the two globally renowned institutions.

The visit was highlighted by the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Prof. Shireesh Kedare, Director, IIT Bombay, and Prof. Rashid Bashir, Dean of the Grainger College of Engineering at UIUC. The agreement lays a strong foundation for cohort-based faculty and student exchanges, collaborative research and teaching, and shared access to academic resources and publications.

Commenting on the partnership, Prof. Kedare noted the importance of such a programme in fostering global perspectives among students and encouraging cross-cultural academic collaboration. Echoing this sentiment, Prof. John Coleman, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UIUC, underscored UIUC’s pride in partnering with IIT Bombay, describing the Institute as “an esteemed institution which has made such amazing contributions in a variety of engineering fields.”

The MoU also paves the way for future collaborative undergraduate initiatives, with a strong focus on entrepreneurship and research. “Opportunities are aplenty,” said Prof. Milind Atrey, Deputy Director (Academics, Research and Translation), “Both the institutes will benefit by such a collaborative arrangement.”

This visit reaffirmed IIT Bombay’s global academic footprint and its commitment to building strong, future-facing partnerships that nurture innovation, research, and cross-border knowledge exchange.