Strengthening Academic Ties: TU Darmstadt Delegation visits Partners in India

From March 17–19, the delegation visited the Indian Institute of Technology Madras to foster interdisciplinary collaboration. The visit facilitated exchanges across multiple disciplines, with faculty members from Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, and Computer Science joining discussions. A key milestone of the visit was the signing of the Joint Doctoral Program in Mechanical Engineering on March 18. Additionally, Dr. Marquardt engaged with scholars from the Humanities and Social Sciences, including Prof. Dr. Sudhir Chella Rajan (Political Theory and the Environment), Prof. Dr. Santosh Kumar Sahu (Economics and Energy), and Dr. Krishna Malakar (Climate Policy), to explore avenues for further academic cooperation.

While part of the TU Darmstadt delegation continued to the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Dr. Marquardt visited the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in Karnataka. Hosted by the Department of Geopolitics & International Relations, the visit provided an opportunity for meaningful exchanges with faculty members, students, and the International Office. Besides talks about potential exchange programs, discussions focused on the fields of energy, climate change, and environmental politics. We are particularly thankful to Prof. K. P. Vijayalakshmi (Head of the Department of Geopolitics & International Relations), Prof. Varadesh Hiregange (Head of the Gandhian Centre for Philosophical Arts and Sciences), distinguished colleagues from the Manipal Center for European Studies, and Dr. Anup Naha (Director of International Collaborations) for their warm hospitality. Very special thanks go to Dr. Dhanasree Jayaram (Assistant Professor – Senior Scale, Department of Geopolitics & International Relations) for her exceptional efforts in organizing this enriching exchange.

Looking ahead, we are eager to continue exchange with MAHE and IIT Madras, as well as explore new partnership opportunities. The Institute of Political Science is already conducting joint research with the IIT Mandi in a DFG-funded research project on political institutionalization. We aim to expand our academic ties with institutions across India.