21.01.2025Visit from IISc Bangalore to UZH

Govindan Rangarajan, Director of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), visited the University of Zurich (UZH) to discuss opportunities for deepening collaboration. During his visit, he met with Elisabeth Stark (Vice President Research), Beatrice Beck Schimmer (Vice President Medicine Zurich), and the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Frank Rühli.

The visit built on discussions from the “Trialogue Days”, hosted by IISc Bangalore in December 2024 and co-organized by Swissnex India. This trilateral symposium brought together researchers from UZH, IISc, and Makerere University (Uganda) to address challenges related to planetary health. Read more about the event on the website of the UZH One Health Institute (see link at the bottom).

During the meeting in Zurich, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the “Trialogue Days” format and explored ways to strengthen collaboration, particularly in medicine. Potential initiatives include joint supervision of PhD candidates, guest lectures, and guest professorships.

The Indian Institute of Science is among the eligible partners for joint applications under the 2025 calls of the UZH Global Funding Scheme. In addition to the “Trialogue Days” (led by Prof. Jan Fehr), this scheme has further supported a collaborative research project led by Prof. Sonja Hartnack. This initiative addresses rabies control in ruural and urban settings through a one health approach, involving colleagues from Makerere University, the University of Edinburgh, and IISc Bangalore.

These initiatives highlight the importance of strong international partnerships in addressing global challenges.

Carmen Richard