In a first with a private university, the Indian Army has joined hands with Amity University to create a centre of excellence in engineering, innovation and technology.
The Army's Training Command (ARTRAC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Amity to set up the centre on the university's campus in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The purpose is to exchange information through Amity's on-campus and off-campus educational programmes.
The Army would sponsor officers to undergo such programmes and to join research and innovation programmes in physical sciences, engineering, pharmacy, management and social sciences. Faculty and students of Amity will visit Army establishments to understand the educational and technology needs of the Army.
The centre of excellence will focus on emerging areas of science and technology, including information warfare and information security, wireless communication; robotics and automation; tracking and surveillance, underwater acoustics and communication; chemical storage, handling, transport and disposal; environment and energy system technologies; supply chain management; communication skills, soft skills and so on.
ARTRAC commander Lt Gen Raj Shukla said the MoU is a step towards strengthening links between academia and the Indian military, and also cautioned that such MoUs will be successful only if the interaction between the Indian Army and the university delivers results.
He said the forces need to adopt new technologies, and therefore the best of talent from the military and civils should come together to create robust systems.
Shukla also visited the university's technical labs, where he was briefed by the respective heads. Amity Chancellor Dr Atul Chauhan said he hoped that a sustainable long-term partnership will benefit the military personnel and the students.