IISc and UCL to Drive Healthcare Innovation with Focus on AI, Quantum Tech, and Robotics

The partnership will focus on supporting IISc’s upcoming Postgraduate Medical School. The universities plan to drive advancements across basic and clinical sciences, applied engineering, and clinical practice.

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and University College London (UCL) have launched an ambitious new phase of their strategic partnership, aimed at transforming healthcare research and education. This collaboration, formalized through a ‘Letter of Intent’ signed at IISc's Bengaluru campus on 18 November, will bolster joint efforts across research, education, innovation, and commercialization.

The partnership will focus on supporting IISc’s upcoming Postgraduate Medical School. The universities plan to drive advancements across basic and clinical sciences, applied engineering, and clinical practice. Prof Govindan Rangarajan, Director of IISc, emphasized the significance of this collaboration: "UCL and IISc's joint efforts will empower education and innovation in medical research and healthcare, aligning with our vision for world-class postgraduate programs."

Dr Michael Spence, President & Provost of UCL, highlighted the future-oriented aspects of the alliance, including research in AI, quantum technologies, and robotics: “This next phase will create significant new joint research capability and educational initiatives to train the physicians of the future.”

To explore potential initiatives, a joint working group will focus on interdisciplinary areas like digital health and quantum medicine. The partners aim to develop collaborative PhD programs, faculty exchanges, and research fellowships, leveraging external funding to maximize impact.

This development builds on UCL’s historic ties to IISc, dating back to Sir William Ramsay’s early involvement in establishing the institute. Recent collaborations have already yielded progress in urban design, liver tissue engineering, and quantum technologies, laying the groundwork for further innovation.