AGRA’s Mission: Connecting Ashoka to the Global Research Community

With the intent of enhancing research-linked mobility between researchers in India and European countries, AGRA, in collaboration with EURAXESS India, hosted the EU Research and Innovation Day on 12 September 2024. The event united researchers, academicians, and students with EU representatives and delegates from countries like Finland, France, Germany, and more. Attendees explored innovation and mobility programs, fostering networking and academic collaborations. This initiative strengthened EU-India research ties by providing direct engagement opportunities and insights into programs supporting innovation, academic partnerships, and mobility across Europe.

AGRA has also deepened engagement with research-led universities, attracting opportunities for faculty and graduate student mobility via three Erasmus agreements with the University Cote d’Azur, the Central European University, and Linnaeus University. Discussions are ongoing with several other world-leading research-led universities on opportunities for student progression into research programs.

At AGRA, we believe that engaging with eminent researchers from leading institutions is not just about connecting great academics but also about exploring longer-term possibilities of faculty engagement, deepening institutional ties and facilitating creative collaboration pathways. One instance of this principle in action was when Stanford University’s Dr Manu Prakash gave a talk at Ashoka, where he took 100+ campus members on an exciting journey from single-cell biology to systems and climate challenges, all driven by curiosity and yet supported by rigorous theoretical and experimental approaches. Dr Prakash’s work, including on the Foldscope – an outcome of frugal innovation approaches – inspired many in the audience. 

Furthermore, by working together with the Development team at Ashoka, a fully funded PhD and post-doctoral programme in the natural sciences, economics, and psychology has been developed in partnership with Axis Bank.

Creating Impactful Networks and Alliances

Despite being a key priority, AGRA’s focus is not just limited to the natural sciences. Ashoka’s excellent social sciences and humanities programmes and faculty are engaged with two alliances that involve leading global universities focused on decolonising and globalising humanities. 

The Cambridge University-led Global Humanities Network established in 2020 was driven by a call from Cambridge students to engage with humanities from a global perspective, of which Ashoka is an active and engaged member. 

The University of Melbourne-led Global Humanities Alliance (GHA) was launched in October 2024 in Manchester – AGRA has facilitated faculty engagement with the group and is also supporting the development of bilateral links with some member institutions of these alliances. The GHA announcement has resulted in widespread international interest from university partners across the world, and we sincerely hope these Alliances will have a ripple effect, not just by growing as a network but also by inspiring other initiatives.

These alliances promise to not only offer opportunities for faculty to connect and collaborate across research curriculum and teaching but also enable students to participate in important global humanities conversations. Ashoka is also the only Indian/ Asian University to engage with one of the world’s leading international independent humanities centres – the National Humanities Center, USA, which will not only offer opportunities for development for Humanities faculty members but also provide an international platform showcasing Ashoka’s excellence in the humanities.