Durham University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham to establish the International Joint Centre of Excellence for Energy Resilience and Decarbonisation (CERD), strengthening long-term India-UK collaboration in sustainable energy research, climate resilience, and innovation.
Amrita University partnership
The MoU was formalised during a high-level delegation visit to Amrita's Bengaluru campus, led by Professor Claire O'Malley, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global). Senior academic leadership from both institutions participated in the signing ceremony, alongside industry representatives from Schneider Electric, highlighting the Centre's strong emphasis on industry engagement and real-world impact.
The Joint Centre will serve as an interdisciplinary platform for collaborative research and capacity building across sustainable energy systems, decarbonisation, hazard and risk management, resilience, and data science. Under the agreement, the two institutions will jointly undertake research projects, enable faculty and doctoral exchanges, share digital and scientific resources, and establish a joint governance mechanism.
Professor Claire O'Malley, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Global) said; "The collaboration with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham brings together shared strengths in research and innovation. Through this Centre of Excellence, we aim to foster impactful international research that contributes meaningfully to the global energy transition."
The Centre will support joint research projects, dual and joint postgraduate programmes, faculty and doctoral exchanges, industry-linked research initiatives, and international funding proposals. It will also promote innovation and technology transfer through industry partnerships, applied pilot projects, and start-up incubation.
Dedicated infrastructure for the Centre will be anchored at Amrita's upcoming research park in Kochi, Kerala, with access to advanced laboratories and research facilities across both institutions.
QS India Summit
As part of the visit to India, Professor O'Malley also attended the QS India Summit on 1 February 2026, to contribute to a roundtable discussion on "Transnational Education in a Creative Economy: Opportunities and Challenges". The roundtable was organised by Alison Barrett MBE, Country Director India, British Council, India.
Professor O'Malley was invited to articulate Durham University's approach to high-quality, research-led, and sustainable Transnational Education (TNE), with an emphasis on academic integrity, innovation, and long-term impact.
She also represented the university at the UK-India Presidents' Networking Breakfast, contributing to senior-level discussions on priorities, policy alignment, and future directions for UK-India higher education collaboration.
The Summit facilitated senior-level engagement with Vice-Chancellors and institutional leaders from existing and prospective partner universities. Professor O'Malley was keen to reaffirm Durham University's commitment to long-term, strategic academic partnerships in India.
Inaugural India Global Education Summit
Charlie Pybus, Director of the International Office, was also visiting India, to attend the Inaugural India Global Education Summit in Tamil Nadu. He was invited to join a panel on the subject of 'Destination India for International Students'. During the event, he met with the minister for industries, investment promotion and commerce from the government of Tamil Nadu.
Social Sciences and Health
Professor Martin Evans Executive Dean for the Faculty of Social Sciences, led a delegation of staff representing Durham, on a series of visits to Indian universities; IIT Delhi, Ashoka University, OP Jindal Global University, Delhi University, Shiv Nadar University, Manav Rachna University, IIT Madras and Ana University.
The purpose of these visits is to foster strategic collaboration in Education and Social Sciences. Delegates are working towards the development of joint initiatives encompassing collaborative research projects, structured student mobility, and non-credit academic engagement.
Durham's India partnerships
Durham is well-established as a significant academic collaborator in India with over 20 institutional partnerships spanning engineering, climate science, law, heritage and education. Key partnerships include Delhi University and Amrita University.
In January, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), marking a significant step in deepening our engagement with one of India's leading institutions.
These partnerships highlight the value international collaboration as central to enhancing global knowledge and developing global citizenship. International collaboration is key to our excellence in teaching and research.
We have long-standing connections and partnerships in South Asia. As a global University and a world-leading institution (QS World Top 100), collaboration with a broad mix of partners is vital.
