Lehman discusses research and academic collaborations in India

Capping his first trip to India this past weekend, Cornell President Jeffrey Lehman discussed opportunities to expand academic and research ties with India as a milestone in achieving his vision for Cornell as the leading transnational university.

Cornell President Jeffrey Lehman, left center, meets across the table with Ju Jin (shirt sleeves), Chinese deputy director general in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Department of International Cooperation, and Li Xueyong (in suit), Chinese vice minister of science and technology, in Beijing, June 29. From the foreground, left, are Inge Reichenbach, Cornell vice president of development; Zhong Sheng Sun, assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medical College; Lehman; Liya Rong, special adviser to Lehman; Norman Scott, Cornell professor of biological and environmental engineering; and Thomas Bruce, Cornell vice president for communications and media relations. Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology

Speaking at a Cornell All-Alumni and Parents Event at the Oberoi Hilton Towers in Mumbai (Bombay), July 9 -- at the end of a two-week working tour of China and India -- Lehman said, "As a transnational university, we must be deeply connected to this vital center of human culture and intellectual innovation."

The president said that he traveled to India before the end of his first year as president because, "I wanted to see for myself, as early as possible, the kind of world-class research and academic work that is being carried out every day at key Indian institutions."

Lehman said Cornell wants to expand collaborations with research and academic institutions in the years to come. Architecture and agriculture are the two areas in which Cornell and India have a long association.

Narayana Murthy, chairman and chief executive officer of Infosys Technologies Ltd., and a Cornell trustee, and Ratan Tata, a noted Indian businessman and Cornell graduate, who introduced Lehman at the event, were among the prominent alumni attending the Mumbai event.

Lehman explained to the audience how Cornell's exceptional breadth of disciplines -- ranging from agriculture, the life sciences and engineering to biology, computer sciences, architecture and the liberal arts -- provides a strong foundation on which to work with India's universities and companies. "More than any other university I can think of, Cornell is bringing the physical sciences, engineering, mathematics, and computing and information science into the new life sciences tent in surprising and productive ways," he said.

Reflecting on meetings with Indian business and academic leaders, Lehman concluded, "Even on a first visit, I cannot help but admire the juxtaposition of a rich history and culture with a technology-driven, high-growth economy. We want to work with our friends in India."

While in Mumbai, the Cornell delegation (which included Inge Reichenbach, vice president for development; Thomas Bruce, vice president for communications and media relations; and Porus Olpadwala, professor of architecture, art and planning) visited the Indian Institute of Technology. Previously the delegation had met with prominent scientists at the Indian Institute of Science and business people at Infosys in Bangalore.

In China, during the first leg of his Asian trip, Lehman visited Tsinghua University in Beijing to explore the potential for a collaborative institute for advanced studies and research. He also visited Peking University and the China Agricultural University to explore collaborations with those institutions.

During the trip, Lehman was interviewed by several international media organizations, including The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong). He discussed possible academic and institutional collaborations and the student visa situation in the United States that has tightened after passage of the USA Patriot Act in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack.