The two institutions are sharing their combined expertise in athlete training, healthcare and biomechanics to supercharge research, industry collaboration and education initiatives in the world of sport.
Through the partnership, the universities will share best practice on biomedical engineering, healthcare and sports and nutrition science to drive “elite performance” and injury prevention, helping with “India’s push towards global sporting excellence”.
While IIT Delhi is known for top-quality training in healthcare and entrepreneurship – which are “increasingly being applied to sport” – the University of Exeter is ranked among the top universities in the world for sport, exercise and nutrition science, a statement from the university read.
The University of Exeter’s president and vice-chancellor, Lisa Roberts, said combining the strengths of the institutions would be “critical to accelerate India’s rise as a global sporting powerhouse”.
“At Exeter, we have worked with record-breaking marathon runners, Olympic athletes, and champion teams across cricket, rugby, and hockey. IIT Delhi’s innovation in fields including biomechanics, healthcare, and rehabilitation sciences is really impressive and complement Exeter’s applied sport science expertise perfectly,” she said.
“As India looks to enhance its global sporting impact – and potentially host an Olympic Games in the future – we are thrilled to share our expertise and collaborate with IIT Delhi and Indian industry leaders to push the boundaries of sporting excellence.”
We are thrilled to share our expertise and collaborate with IIT Delhi and Indian industry leaders to push the boundaries of sporting excellence
Lisa Roberts, University of Exeter
The partnership was showcased at the first IIT Delhi-Exeter Joint Symposium on Sports Healthcare Science and Engineering, hosted in Delhi between January 30 and January 31.
Mark Wilson, Exeter’s head of department of public health and sport science, said he was “excited for what’s to come” – noting that India is an increasingly exciting place to explore sporting innovations and opportunities.
“India is already home to some of the most exciting sporting competitions in the world,” he said.
The news comes following a raft of Transnational Education (TNE) projects between the UK and India, with the University of Southampton and University of Surrey among those UK institutions setting up campuses in India.
Meanwhile, The PIE News was in Delhi last week for the The PIE Live India, where more than 300 delegates convened to discuss pressing issues in international student recruitment and TNE.
