The Department of Hydrology at the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee recently hosted Prof. Vinayak Shedekar, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Water Management and Director of the Overholt Drainage Education and Research Program at The Ohio State University, USA. His visit aimed to explore opportunities for strengthening academic and research collaboration between the two institutions.
During his visit, Prof. Shedekar visited the International Relations Office along with Prof. DS Arya from the Department of Hydrology and met with Prof. KARUN RAWAT, Dean of International Relations, IIT Roorkee. The meeting provided a valuable platform to discuss potential areas of institutional cooperation and to further enhance academic engagement between the institutions.
The discussions focused on several avenues of collaboration, including student mobility and exchange programmes, faculty exchange, and joint research initiatives in areas of mutual academic interest. Particular emphasis was placed on exploring collaborative research in the fields of agricultural water management, hydrology, watershed management, irrigation and drainage systems, groundwater management, water resources planning, and environmental sustainability.
In addition, both sides explored opportunities for collaborative research in climate-resilient agriculture, climate change adaptation in water resources, flood and drought management, precision agriculture, hydrological modelling, and data-driven water resource management. The participants also discussed the possibility of organizing joint workshops, seminars, training programmes, and short-term academic courses to facilitate knowledge exchange and collaborative learning between faculty members and students of both institutions.
Both sides expressed interest in formalizing the collaboration through a Generic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a structured framework for future academic and research cooperation. A draft Generic MoU has also been shared for further review and consideration.
The visit marked a positive step toward building a meaningful and sustainable partnership, and both institutions look forward to continued dialogue and collaborative initiatives in the near future.