The programme aims to send 30 IIT - Powai students to Cambridge over a period of five years. This October, two students from the IIT will be chosen to pursue a one-year MPhil course at Cambridge through the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust. The programme will also include three-year PhDcourses. The funding for this agreement is about 8,00,000 pounds for a period of five years.

Professor Alan Windle of the University of Cambridge who specialises in nanoscience and technology and their applications to nano-structured materials and devices, said: “Nanoscience and technology is an emerging and rapidly growing field. It is here to stay and probably grow even stronger. This is a good area to start such an exchange programme.”

Describing it as a cross disciplinary project, Windle said that an exchange programme was the best way to link universities and to bring together research groups in both the universities.

According to Director of IIT - Powai Ashok Misra, who goes to Trinity College in Cambridge as visiting faculty every year, the idea of starting such a programme was first initiated in 2003. “Collaboration with Cambridge is a landmark event for IIT - Powai especially because it is taking place in our golden jubilee year,” he said.

It was the IIT's “long-standing reputation” as a premiere institution that prompted Cambridge to forge this exchange programme.

“We have tried to make sure that it benefits both the institutes. Besides reaping the benefits of the academic programme, students from IIT- Bombay will realise that it is quite a cultural experience to stay in Cambridge,” Professor Windle said.