IIT Bhubaneswar joins hands with Bhaktivedanta Research Centre to propel Indian Knowledge Systems into the digital age

THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, MARCH 20, 2026

Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar has entered into a significant academic partnership with the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre, marking a forward-looking step toward advancing interdisciplinary research and Indian Knowledge Systems. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on March 19, 2026, in Bhubaneswar, brings together two institutions committed to blending tradition with modern scholarship.

The agreement was formalised by Prof. Dinakar Pasla, Dean (Sponsored Research & Industrial Consultancy), IIT Bhubaneswar, and Dr. Sumanta Rudra, Dean Academics and Trustee, Bhaktivedanta Research Centre, in the presence of distinguished faculty members and officials, including Dr. Akshaya Kumar Rath, Dr. Naresh Chandra Sahu, and Shri Pradeep Kumar Sahoo.

The MoU reflects a shared commitment between the two institutions to promote education, research, and knowledge dissemination by leveraging their complementary strengths. Under this collaboration, both institutions will undertake a wide spectrum of academic and research initiatives, including conferences, workshops, seminars, lecture series, and public outreach programmes. The partnership will also enable joint research projects, collaborative publications, and the development of interdisciplinary scholarship that integrates humanities, social sciences, and technology.

A major thrust of the collaboration lies in the advancement of digital humanities and manuscript studies, with focused efforts on digitisation, textual analysis, and the creation of digital research tools and repositories aimed at preserving and interpreting India’s rich intellectual heritage.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Pasla said: “The collaboration aims to strengthen scholarly exchange and capacity building while contributing to the growing global discourse on Indian knowledge traditions, ethics, sustainability, and civilizational studies.”

Dr. Sumanta Rudra, Dean (Academics), BRC, stated that the collaboration will significantly strengthen the Indian Knowledge System, with both institutions committed to meaningful future contributions.

This partnership marks a significant step toward bridging traditional knowledge systems with contemporary academic and technological frameworks, reinforcing IIT Bhubaneswar’s commitment to interdisciplinary excellence and cultural scholarship while positioning both institutions at the forefront of global academic dialogue.