Bhubaneswar : Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre (BRC), Kolkata, to foster academic collaboration in the areas of Indian Knowledge Systems, philosophy, digital humanities, and interdisciplinary research. The MoU was signed by Prof. Dinakar Pasla, Dean (Sponsored Research & Industrial Consultancy), IIT Bhubaneswar, and Dr. Sumanta Rudra, Dean Academics and Trustee, Bhaktivedanta Research Centre, on 19th March 2026. Dr. Akshaya Kumar Rath, Associate Professor; Dr. Naresh Chandra Sahu, Associate Professor; Shri Pradeep Kumar Sahoo, Deputy Registrar (Continuing Education, Alumni, Corporate & International Relations) were present on the occasion.
The MoU reflects a shared commitment between the two institutions to promote education, research, and knowledge dissemination by leveraging their complementary strengths.
Under this collaboration, IIT Bhubaneswar and BRC will jointly undertake a range of academic and research initiatives. These include organizing conferences, workshops, seminars, lecture series, and public outreach programmes. The partnership will also facilitate joint research projects, collaborative publications, and the development of interdisciplinary scholarship integrating humanities, social sciences, and technology.
A key focus of the MoU is the advancement of digital humanities and manuscript studies, including efforts in digitisation, textual analysis, and the creation of digital research tools and repositories.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Pasla said: “The collaboration aims to strengthen scholarly exchange and capacity building while contributing to the growing global discourse on Indian knowledge traditions, ethics, sustainability, and civilizational studies.”
Dr. Sumanta Rudra, Dean (Academics), BRC, stated that the collaboration will significantly strengthen the Indian Knowledge System, with both institutions committed to meaningful future contributions.
This partnership marks a significant step towards bridging traditional knowledge systems with contemporary academic and technological frameworks, reinforcing IIT Bhubaneswar’s commitment to interdisciplinary excellence and cultural scholarship.
