Ashoka University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ministry of Earth Sciences, to strengthen research and academic collaboration in the fields of weather, climate variability, and environmental sustainability. The agreement was finalised during the second annual workshop on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in Weather and Climate Modelling, hosted by the Safexpress Centre for Data, Learning and Decision Sciences (SCDLDS) at the university.
Collaboration Focus Areas
The partnership between Ashoka University and IMD aims to provide solutions to pressing issues such as extreme weather events, droughts, floods, heat waves, and cold waves. The collaboration will also focus on:
- Climate variability and forecasting
- Hydrology and water resource management
- Meteorology and atmospheric physics
- Risk management in disaster-prone areas
- Environmental sustainability research
By integrating scientific expertise with advanced computational techniques, the MoU is expected to enhance India’s capacity for accurate forecasting and effective disaster preparedness.
Academic and Research Benefits
As part of the MoU, Ashoka University and IMD will jointly design coursework, lectures, training programmes, examinations, and academic guidelines in the domain of climate science and data analysis. This will not only expand the academic curriculum but also open new opportunities for applied research in weather and environmental sciences. One of the major highlights of the agreement is that Ashoka University students will get internship opportunities at IMD, enabling them to gain hands-on experience in weather monitoring, forecasting techniques, and climate data analysis.
Training and Capacity Building
The collaboration also includes organising workshops, seminars, and training sessions to build capacity among researchers in areas such as:
- Climate modelling
- Data analytics
- Computational methods
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in weather prediction
Through knowledge exchange and skill-building activities, the initiative is expected to produce a new generation of scientists and researchers equipped to tackle climate-related challenges.
Data Sharing and Technology Integration
The MoU also emphasises data sharing and management, which will allow researchers from Ashoka University to access valuable climate and meteorological datasets maintained by IMD. This access will support projects on predictive modelling, environmental risk analysis, and sustainable development strategies. Experts believe that such collaborations between academic institutions and government research agencies are crucial to bridge the gap between theory and practice, particularly in areas like climate forecasting and disaster resilience.
