IIM Jammu, NIT Jalandhar sign strategic MoU to advance multidisciplinary education and research

Partnership to promote collaborative research, executive education, innovation, entrepreneurship and academic excellence in line with NEP 2020

Jammu: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu and Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT) Jalandhar, two premier Institutes of National Importance under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a long-term strategic partnership aimed at promoting multidisciplinary education, collaborative research, executive education, innovation, entrepreneurship, and institutional capacity building in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The MoU was formally signed by Prof. B. S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu, and Prof. Binod Kumar Kanaujia, Director, NIT Jalandhar, in the presence of Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean, Faculty & Research, Prof. Nitin Upadhyay, Dean Academics, IIM Jammu; Prof. Raman Bedi, Dean Academics, NIT Jalandhar; Brigadier (Retd.) Bhupinder Singh Kang, Chief Administrative Officer; Shri Arup Bhattacharya, Chief Program Officer, IIM Jammu, along with senior officials from both institutions.

The partnership establishes a comprehensive framework for collaboration by leveraging IIM Jammu’s expertise in management education, strategy, entrepreneurship, finance, and executive education, alongside NIT Jalandhar’s strengths in engineering, technology, applied sciences, and innovation.

Under the agreement, the two institutions will collaborate in academics, research, consultancy, faculty and student exchange programmes, joint teaching initiatives, collaborative research centres, and academic credit mobility in accordance with the provisions of NEP 2020. They will also jointly conduct Executive Education and Management Development Programmes (MDPs) for industry, government departments, and public sector undertakings, while exploring integrated and jointly conferred academic programmes in the future, subject to statutory approvals.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. B. S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu, described the partnership as a significant milestone in strengthening multidisciplinary education and creating a vibrant ecosystem where management education and technological innovation converge.

He said the collaboration embodies the spirit of NEP 2020 by promoting interdisciplinary learning, impactful academic programmes, research excellence, executive education, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He expressed confidence that the partnership would contribute meaningfully to nation-building and the socio-economic development of the region and the country through high-impact academic initiatives and research-driven innovation.

Prof. Binod Kumar Kanaujia, Director, NIT Jalandhar, termed the collaboration the beginning of a transformative partnership between two leading Institutes of National Importance. He said the MoU would open new avenues for interdisciplinary research, technology-driven innovation, industry engagement, and academic excellence while enabling both institutions to jointly address emerging societal and industrial challenges through collaborative knowledge creation.

Highlighting the research dimension of the collaboration, Prof. Jabir Ali, Dean, Faculty & Research, IIM Jammu, said the partnership would provide a strong platform for integrating management with engineering and technology through joint research projects, consultancy assignments, publications, policy research, and innovation initiatives addressing regional and national priorities.

Prof. Nitin Upadhyay, Dean Academics, IIM Jammu, said the agreement closely aligns with the vision of NEP 2020 by encouraging multidisciplinary learning, student mobility, academic credit transfer, faculty collaboration, and the exploration of integrated and dual-degree programmes designed to prepare students for the evolving global knowledge economy.

Echoing similar views, Prof. Raman Bedi, Dean Academics, NIT Jalandhar, said the collaboration would strengthen academic integration through joint curriculum development, faculty exchange, experiential learning, and collaborative academic initiatives, thereby enriching learning opportunities for students and faculty members of both institutions.

The MoU outlines an extensive roadmap for collaboration across multiple domains. Both institutions will jointly undertake interdisciplinary research in areas such as technology management, sustainable development, public policy, regional economy, horticulture and agribusiness, tourism and hospitality management, disaster management, digital governance, and healthcare management.

The agreement also envisages the joint submission of research proposals to national and international funding agencies, co-authored publications, development of case studies, establishment of joint research centres and academic chairs, and the sharing of research infrastructure and datasets. Faculty exchange programmes, Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs), guest lectures, doctoral opportunities, and academic credit sharing will further strengthen institutional capacity and academic cooperation.

In addition, the two institutions have agreed to share academic infrastructure and institutional resources and jointly organise seminars, conferences, workshops, training programmes, boot camps, and immersion programmes. The collaboration also aims to build a coordinated startup and incubation ecosystem by leveraging their complementary strengths in management, entrepreneurship, engineering, and technology. The MoU further envisages exploring jointly conferred academic degree programmes and integrated learning pathways in accordance with NEP 2020 and applicable regulatory frameworks.

During their visit, the delegation from NIT Jalandhar was taken on a comprehensive tour of the IIM Jammu campus, where they visited the institute’s state-of-the-art academic infrastructure, smart classrooms, Nalanda Library, and other world-class facilities that support excellence in management education, research, and holistic student development.

The MoU reflects the shared commitment of IIM Jammu and NIT Jalandhar to advancing academic excellence, research-driven innovation, entrepreneurship, and institutional collaboration. By combining their complementary strengths, the two premier institutions aim to create meaningful opportunities for students, faculty, researchers, industry, and society, while contributing to India’s vision of becoming a global hub for knowledge, innovation, and sustainable development.