Delegation to India Results in Partnerships with Leading Institutions

A delegation from Rutgers University traveled to Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Vellore, and Kolkata in November, meeting with partners, connecting with alumni, and engaging with key organizations resulting in an inspiring and impactful visit to India. 

The delegation brought together senior academic and institutional leadership, including deans, key faculty, and administrators from the School of Engineering (SoE), Rutgers Business School (RBS), the School of Social Work (SSW), Rutgers Foundation, and Rutgers Global. (For the full list of delegates, please see below.)  

Key Outcomes  

• The School of Engineering formalized Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with four leading Indian institutions.
• The School of Social Work is close to formalizing a partnership with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
• Rutgers Business School joined the trip to strengthen their recruitment initiatives and build partnerships. They met with many new potential partners during this visit.
• Two well-attended alumni receptions hosted by Rutgers Foundation in Delhi and Mumbai led to great engagement and networking opportunities.  

Rutgers School of Engineering: Formalizing Strong Partnerships  

Rutgers School of Engineering formalized four MoUs on this visit with KMV College, Plaksha University, IIT Madras, and Vellore Institute of Technology.     

The establishment of academic collaborations, student and faculty exchanges, and research opportunities through these partnerships will heighten Rutgers Engineering’s growing reputation as an international leader in academic excellence and innovative research and discovery.  

Dean of the School of Engineering Alberto Cuitińo noted: “Establishing joint global education learning and research exchanges will create and support cooperative, multi-disciplinary research initiatives that will spur technological advances to address some of today’s most pressing worldwide challenges.”  

• Kanya Maha Vidyalaya (KMV) College, located in Jalandhar, Punjab, is India’s oldest and largest women’s college. The MoU between KMV and Rutgers will lead to establishing future partnership agreements focused on student and faculty exchanges; exchanges of documentation and research materials; cooperation in efforts to commercialize technologies developed by both schools or their partners; and the eventual development of a dual degree program.   
• Plaksha University was established in 2015 in Mohali, Punjab, India by industry and entrepreneurial leaders wishing to change the engineering education model in India and beyond. Former Berkeley University Engineering Dean Shankar Sastry is the school's current chancellor.  The MoU with Rutgers Engineering stipulates the same priorities for academic exchange and cooperation as KMV’s.   
• The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), located in Chennai, is rated the leading engineering school in India. The MoU between IIT-M and Rutgers Engineering aims to promote cooperative relations and collaboration between the two schools, with visiting scholar exchanges focused on research collaborations with the host university. While the MoU outlines future graduate student exchanges, undergraduate student exchanges would undergo a separate approval process.  
• The Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) in Vellore is India’s top-ranked private engineering school, and #6-ranked engineering school in the country. Working together, SoE and VIT will set the stage for future partnership agreements for faculty and student exchanges, as well as for coordinated cooperation collaborative research projects. As with KMV and Plaksha University, a future partnership agreement could spur the development of a dual degree program.   

School of Social Work: Evolving Relationships  

Dean of the School of Social Work George Leibowitz has a longstanding relationship with colleagues as the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), one of India’s premier institutions for higher education, research and public policy in the social sciences. With several campuses in India, TISS functions as a national hub for applied social research policy innovation, and field-based education. On this visit, plans were made to formalize the relationship between SSW and TISS with an MoU between the schools soon.  

Leibowitz also met with Principal Kanika K. Ahuja and key faculty and staff at Lady Shri Ram (LSR) College for Women in Delhi, a leading institution of higher learning for women in India. “Our time together has given us the opportunity to establish new partnerships and deepen existing relationships within LSR. As an esteemed institution that shares our social work values, we look forward to our continued collaboration,” he noted. Assistant Vice President for Global Affairs Mohini Mukherjee, who was also at the meeting, is a proud alumna of LSR.  

In addition to institutional partnerships, the School of Social Work delegation also engaged with leading non-governmental organizations to explore opportunities for impactful collaboration and experiential learning for students. Visits to Goonj in Delhi and Durbar in Kolkata offered insight into community-driven models addressing social issues. These engagements opened conversations around field-based learning, research collaboration, and practice-oriented experiences that align closely with the school’s mission and values.    

Alumni Engagement: Delhi and Mumbai Receptions  

Alumni receptions organized by the Rutgers Foundation in Delhi and Mumbai drew crowds of proud Rutgers alums looking to connect and network. Vice President for Global Affairs Rick Garfunkel said, “These receptions organized by the Foundation create a wonderful opportunity to connect with Rutgers graduates who are making an impact across the region.” See photos from the alumni receptions.  

Key Institutions and Organizations Engaged: 

Anusandhan National Research Foundation, New Delhi 

Goonj, New Delhi 

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi 

Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), New Delhi 

Kanya Maha Vidyalaya (KMV) College, Jalandhar 

Plaksha University, Punjab 

Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad 

Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM), Mumbai 

International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai 

University of Mumbai, Mumbai 

Ratan Tata MH Skills University, Mumbai 

SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai 

S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai 

Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras 

Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore

Presidency University, Kolkata 

Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta

Techno India University, Kolkata 

Durbar, Kolkata   

Rutgers Delegates: 

Rutgers School of Engineering:  

Alberto Cuitińo, Dean  

Hao Lin, Associate Dean for Graduate and International Education 

Ashutosh Goel, Professor

Rutgers Business School:  

Dietrich Tschanz, Assistant Dean, RBS International Programs and Assistant Director, International Student Recruitment and Advising 

Thomas Hill, Assistant Dean of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions, RBS 

School of Social Work:  

George Leibowitz, Dean 

Lia Nower, Associate Dean for Research & Distinguished Professor 

Rutgers University Foundation:  

Steve Cousins, Executive Director, Global Engagement

Rutgers Global:  

Eric Garfunkel, Vice President for Global Affairs 

Mohini Mukherjee, Assistant Vice President for Global Affairs 

Looking Ahead: The India Initiative at Rutgers  

The November delegation was successful in moving forward strategic goals of initiating and formalizing partnerships with key institutions and organizations across India for key schools at Rutgers. Plans are underway for further travel and engagement in 2026.  

Rutgers University launched the India Initiative in 2023 to deepen the university's engagement with India in a holistic and strategic way. “Building on our long-standing academic, cultural, and scholarly ties, the India Initiative strengthens existing partnerships, cultivates new collaborations, and supports meaningful, mutually beneficial engagement across research, innovation, and academic exchange,” noted Mohini Mukherjee, who is leading the Initiative.   

To learn more about the India Initiative, visit this webpage.