Old Westbury, NEW YORK, June 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During a virtual meeting this morning between the Director of IIT Bombay, Prof. Shireesh Kedare, and the President of SUNY Old Westbury, Dr. Timothy E. Sams, held in the presence of the Hon'ble Union Minister of Education, Government of India, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan; Secretary of Higher Education, Government of India, Dr. Vineet Joshi ; Ambassador of India to the United States, Amb. Vinay Mohan Kwatra, the two institutions announced the following:
The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) and the State University of New York at Old Westbury have agreed to partner in the development of new educational and research opportunities that would be offered on the Long Island, New York, campus.
Through a letter of intent signed by Prof. Shireesh Kedare and Dr. Timothy E. Sams in the presence of Consul General Binaya S. Pradhan, the two institutions will begin work towards creating new academic offerings at all levels in science and engineering focused on emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, while also developing plans for collaborative research activities.
"IIT Bombay is excited to work with SUNY Old Westbury, whose leadership is committed to quality education and is forward looking in its outlook,” said IIT Bombay Director Prof. Shireesh Kedare. “Considering that our strengths are complementary, we believe that our partnership has the ability to scale great heights.”
“IIT Bombay is recognized as a world-class institution,” said SUNY Old Westbury President Timothy Sams. “We are excited to establish a direct partnership that advances teaching, innovation and excellence in disciplines like physics and engineering with a goal of creating a robust IIT Bombay presence on our campus so that together we can prepare the next generation of leaders who will fuel success across our region, state, nation and world.”
Early areas of cooperation are expected to include visits by and exchange of faculty members and researchers between the institutions, joint research activities, and the development of joint conferences or symposia.
These early-stage efforts will be conducted while the development of new degree programs takes shape.
Both President Dr. Timothy E. Sams and Director Prof. Shireesh Kedare expressed their sincere appreciation to the Government of India, the Embassy of India, the Consulate General of India in New York and especially to Consul General Binaya S. Pradhan for their continued support to facilitate this collaboration.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Vinay Kwatra underscored the importance of strengthening academic and technological collaboration between the two prestigious institutions and fostering deeper partnerships in research, innovation, and higher education. Secretary Higher Education of India, Dr Vineet Joshi, called the partnership between IIT Bombay and SUNY Old Westbury a new and proud chapter in the India-US partnership in higher education and research and one of the most consequential.
Welcoming the partnership as a living corridor of knowledge between India and the USA, Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Government of India noted that IIT Bombay’s partnership with SUNY Old Westbury will create win-win opportunities for students, academicians in both India and USA besides helping to develop cutting edge technologies in frontier science. He urged both IIT Bombay and SUNY Old Westbury to work towards developing students as well as technologies who could shape the future and contribute to global good.
About IIT Bombay
The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, set up in 1958 as the second IIT, is recognized worldwide as a leader in the field of science and engineering education and research. The Institute was granted the status of ‘Institution of Eminence’ by the Ministry of Education (the then Ministry of Human Resources Development) on July 9, 2018. IIT Bombay is reputed for the quality of its faculty, cutting-edge research, industry relations, and the outstanding caliber of students graduating from its undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The Institute has 81 academic divisions. Over the last six decades, more than 75,000 engineers and scientists have graduated from the Institute. It is served by 760 faculty, including 121 women faculty (plus 241 part-time faculty), considered not only amongst the best within the country but also highly recognized in the world for achievements in the field of education and research.
About SUNY Old Westbury
SUNY Old Westbury is a university where students with a passion for learning are empowered through excellence to thrive in, and help build, a more just, sustainable world. As Long Island’s only public liberal arts institution, SUNY Old Westbury challenges its students to own their futures through an environment that demands academic excellence and fosters intercultural understanding. As members of the most diverse student body in the SUNY system, the University' more than 4,700 students study in nearly 70 undergraduate and graduate degree opportunities in Old Westbury’s liberal arts and professional programs. Across its 60-year history, the University has prepared more than 39,000 graduates and has been recognized as a leader in enhancing the social and economic mobility of its graduates by both U.S.News and World Report and the economic think tank Third Way.
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