Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST) Dr. S Chadrasekhar emphasized the integration of India and Germany’s critical areas with scientific significance in an online webinar conducted as part of an outreach project to promote the recently introduced call for International Research & Training Group initiatives between DST and DFG.
Key areas include Sustainable Energy Technologies (generation, conversion, and conservation), Environment and Clean Technology, Biobased Economy, Bio-based materials for various applications, Food &Agri Technologies, Affordable Healthcare (including -Pharmaceuticals and Biomedical Instrumentation), Technologies for Advanced Production and Integration of AI and Machine Learning in all fields.
Prof. Drs. Katja Becker, President, DFG, German Research Foundation, stressed that the program will be a beacon of Indo-German relations. It will create strong research collaborations through a low-cost approach to global challenges.
Shri S.K. Varshney, Head, International Cooperation Division, DST, suggested that the program not only achieve a larger goal but also train and develop capacity among scientists and researchers in a way that will be useful in addressing other future scientific challenges.Drs. KatjaFettelschoß, Deputy Head of Division Research Careers, DFG, is hopeful that the new forum will build a long-term relationship between India and Germany and the participation of new researchers in the program should be encouraged.
More than 80 participants from Universities and Institutions from both countries attended the IRTG online webinar and discussed their questions with officials from the International Division of DST (Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Scientist-E) and DFG (Mr. Martin Roatsch (Research Jobs, IRTG Team, DFG) for details of the application process under a joint IRTG call.
