In a joint declaration of intent, Faculty 5 and VIT agreed on the key points of their further cooperation. According to the agreement, students and academic staff will move between the two locations in the future, relying on bilateral teaching and cultural programs. The agreement covers publication activities of common interest, the exchange of bibliographic material, and joint access to information networks. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on May 3 by Prof. Ilia Polian, Dean of Faculty 5: Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Stuttgart, and Dr. G. Viswanathan, Founder and Chancellor of the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), India. The preliminary document is to be replaced by an Academic Cooperation Agreement within three years.
Dr. Viswanathan had traveled to Stuttgart as part of an Indian delegation. Their representatives were able to see for themselves the research and teaching activities at the Vaihingen site. Among the stops on the visit were the Arena2036 research campus and meetings with numerous representatives of the faculty.
Contacts between Faculty 5 and VIT have existed for some time: In 2020, Prof. Aiello, head of the Service Computing department at the Institute of Architecture of Application Systems, held talks in India about possible collaborations in artificial intelligence and computer architectures. In the internationally oriented INFOTECH degree program, selected VIT graduates are already earning their master's degrees in Stuttgart.
Prof. Aiello hopes that even more talented students from India will join the master's and doctoral programs in Stuttgart in the future. This will promote the academic exchange of knowledge and at the same time strengthen the regional economy with potential specialists. Finally, the partners want to attract funding for joint research projects.
