Hyderabad: Indian Institute of Technology- Hyderabad’s (IIT-H) department of Liberal Arts, in association with the Office of International Relations and with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), organized the first chair lecture by the director, of health care policy concentration from the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), University of Tokyo, Prof Taichi Ono.
The relationship between JICA and IIT Hyderabad (IITH) is steeped in legacy and has strengthened with time.
In 2007, the relationship was based on the commitment between the Prime Ministers of the two countries. Since then, IITH has been the most important institute for JICA’s cooperation toward human resource development in India.
The cooperation is extended by providing comprehensive assistance through various projects, including an ODA loan of Rs 23,035 million Japanese yen (around Rs 1,400 crore) for the development of the IITH campus.
The campus is equipped with Japanese academia and industries, joint research projects and public-private partnership projects made department-wise based on the individuals’ credentials and research inclination in the respective field.
Elaborating on the objective of the lecture, the president of JICA, Tanaka Akihiko said, “Japan’s road to modernization began 155 years ago.”
“Since then, Japan has become the first, and one of the best examples, of modernization through a non-Western approach. JICA has been engaging in various initiatives with IIT-H, which has become a crucial platform for engagement for both countries,” he added.
“There are almost 100 JICA projects in India, mainly in the field of infrastructure development, but I believe the investment in the Indian human resource can play a fundamental role in nurturing better relationships between the two countries,” said the president.
While outlining the importance of the JICA lecture, IITH director Prof B S Murty said, “IITH shares a special bond with Japan, especially with JICA, due to its alignment with our objective of Inventing & Innovating in Technology for Humanity.”
“I am confident this relationship will flourish further in the future. I am grateful to JICA for setting up of JICA Chair at IITH and providing an opportunity for the IITH community to learn about the culture and values of Japan through the JICA Chair,” the director added.
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