The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr Harini Nireka Amarasuriya, visited the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi on Friday to explore opportunities for collaboration in research, innovation, and higher education between the two countries.
During her visit, Dr Amarasuriya interacted with Prof Arvind Nema, Deputy Director (Operations); Prof. Anil Verma, Dean of International Programmes; faculty members; international students; and startup founders at IIT Delhi.
Two IIT Delhi-incubated startups — CYRAN AI and Cluix — presented their innovations to the visiting dignitary. CYRAN AI demonstrated ‘BUDDHI’, an AI-based DIY STEM education kit that enables learners to understand and build artificial intelligence applications. Cluix showcased its portable water quality analyzer technology.
The Prime Minister also visited various research facilities and innovation labs at IIT Delhi’s Research and Innovation Park.
Dr Harini Nireka Amarasuriya said, “IIT Delhi is a prestigious engineering and research institute in our neighbourhood. There is significant potential for academic and research collaboration between our institutions and IIT Delhi. We are already collaborating with IIT Madras, and we look forward to exploring new partnerships with IIT Delhi as well.”
Prof Arvind Nema, Deputy Director (Operations), IIT Delhi, expressed gratitude for the visit and highlighted the institute’s interest in deepening cooperation with Sri Lankan universities. “The Institute already has a few students from Sri Lanka. We look forward to strengthening collaborative efforts for capacity building. Sri Lankan students are welcome to pursue master’s and PhD degrees at IIT Delhi and B.Tech. at our international campus in Abu Dhabi. Scholarships funded by the Sri Lankan government for such students would further enhance this partnership,” he said.
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Prof Anil Verma, Dean of International Programmes, presented an overview of IIT Delhi’s global initiatives and proposed the establishment of a ‘Sri Lanka Academic and Research Hub’ at IIT Delhi. The proposed hub aims to connect higher education institutions in India and Sri Lanka, fostering collaboration in research, innovation, and skill development.
Prof Verma also briefed the Prime Minister on IIT Delhi’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge research, and achievements in global academic rankings.
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