On April 5, 2024, members of the Virginia Tech Office of Outreach and International Affairs and the Department of Mechanical Engineering hosted a delegation from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, a private university in Patiala, India. The delegation toured six labs and met with key constituents across OIA, the College of Engineering, and other areas of the university. 

During their visit, the delegation explored additional partnership opportunities with Virginia Tech. In 2019, President Tim Sands and the president of Thapar University signed a five-year memorandum of understanding that resulted in a $2 million investment to build a collaborative research center. This research center, the Center of Excellence in Emerging Materials, has played an active role in the latest breakthroughs Virginia Tech has announced in graphene technologies. 

An expanded partnership with Thapar may result in new degree program agreements similar to the partnership Virginia Tech has with another leading university in the country, NMIMS. 

Written by Amanda Broome