Thaindian News

Bangalore, Nov 16 (IANS) Britain will grant 100 scholarships to bright Indian students enrolling in post-graduate engineering, science and technology programmes in the Queen’s University in Northern Ireland from September 2012.

“Under the scholarship scheme, christened after India’s former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the Queens University will offer scholarships valued at 253,427 pounds ($400,000) to 100 Indian students enrolling in postgraduate courses,” British Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts told reporters Wednesday.

The Belfast-based Queen’s University is one of the 20 leading research intensive institutions in Britain and rated as ‘world leading’ in all areas of research.

“Each eligible student will be given 2,500 pounds ($4,000) for pursuing post-graduate courses in electronics, electrical engineering, computer science, mechanical and aerospace engineering, chemistry and chemical engineering, planning, architecture and civil engineering,” Willetts said.

The university has 17,000 students from 80 countries, 3,500 faculties and about 100,000 graduates worldwide.

In a related development, the University of Oxford signed an agreement with the premier Indian Institute of Science (IISc) on affordable healthcare.

“The initiative brings together the complimentary scientific capabilities of Oxford and IISc in biology and engineering. It will involve Bangalore hospitals and scientists from Indian universities and experts from the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore (IIM-B),” Willetts said.

As part of collaborations in science, innovation and education between the two countries, joint funding between British research councils, Indian partners and third parties has grown to 80 million pounds in the past three years.

“The British biotechnology and biological sciences research council and the Indian department of biotechnology have agreed to jointly fund five million pounds on research projects in bio-energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels,” Willetts pointed out.

Similarly, joint projects at changing water cycles to improve predictions on future patterns of flood and drought in the context of climate change will be undertaken with 2.5-million pounds funding from the British natural environment research council with matching grant from the Indian ministry of earth sciences.