IIT BBS, CSIR-CBRI sign MoU for research in sustainable infrastructure

Bhubaneswar: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar and CSIR-Central Building Research Institute (CSIR-CBRI), Roorkee, have signed an MoU to strengthen collaboration in research, academic exchange and innovation in building science, civil engineering and sustainable infrastructure.The agreement was signed by IIT-Bhubaneswar director Shreepad Karmalkar and CSIR-CBRI director R Pradeep Kumar. They said the partnership aims to leverage the expertise and resources of the two institutions to advance research and develop skilled manpower in areas such as structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, engineering geology, architecture and planning, environmental engineering, disaster mitigation and sustainable construction technologies.Under the MoU, the institutions will undertake joint research projects, facilitate faculty and student internships, and promote collaborative supervision of student projects and research work. The agreement also provides for sharing of research facilities, laboratory infrastructure, software resources and library services to strengthen academic and research engagement.Speaking on the occasion, Karmalkar said the collaboration would create new opportunities for students, researchers and faculty members to work on nationally relevant challenges and contribute to the development of resilient and sustainable infrastructure. The partnership would combine the strengths of both institutions to promote high-quality research and innovation in building science and technology, Kumar added. The MoU will remain in force for an initial period of five years and is expected to pave the way for long-term collaboration in research, innovation and capacity building for the infrastructure sector.