UPES has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HCLTech. The partnership will give students of UPES School of Business and School of Advanced Engineering access to impactful real-world learning opportunities, the companies said in a joint statement.
According to the statement, the partnership marks a milestone in UPES’s commitment towards bridging the gap between academia and industry.
Dr Ram Sharma, Vice Chancellor, UPES, said in the statement, “We are excited to announce our collaboration with HCLTech, creating unique opportunities for students and researchers to work on cutting-edge projects and internships in the energy sector. These projects aim to address critical challenges, reduce carbon footprints, and deliver value to oil and gas organisations. We look forward to host webinars and forums to explore new possibilities in sustainability, safety in oil field operations and operational excellence. This partnership fosters strong academic-industry ties, offering students practical case studies and connecting sponsors with professors to tackle industry issues, benefitting academia and industry alike.”
The collaboration encompasses several key initiatives designed to provide students and research scholars with extraordinary opportunities for growth and learning, and will primarily include the following:
- Advanced solutions for the oil and gas industry: It will enable UPES students and research scholars to work on projects and internships that will address critical industry challenges like reducing carbon footprint. It will also encourage the usage of digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), Industry 4.0, data engineering and cloud computing to drive innovations for the oil and gas industry.
- Strengthening academic-industry collaboration: It aims to foster a bond between academia and industry by exposing students to practical case studies and providing industry professionals access to professors and lecturers specialising in various subjects. This exchange of ideas will facilitate solutions to industry-related challenges.
- Webinars and industry forums: UPES and HCL Tech will also join forces to host webinars and participate in industry forums focussing on areas related to exploration and production, covering topics like sustainability, safety in oil field operations and operational excellence to provide students with a platform to learn from industry experts and engage in meaningful discussions.
“This initiative will introduce solutions that promote sustainability, innovation, value optimisation and prioritisation of low-carbon solutions in the oil and gas industry. The partnership will focus on the development of advanced solutions for the oil and gas industry using advanced technologies such as AI/ML, GenAI, IoT, Industry 4.0, data engineering and cloud computing,” said Ajay Bahl, Corporate Vice President, HCLTech, in the statement.
Through this partnership, HCLTech will spearhead various initiatives including the development of a comprehensive knowledge management system, co-development of digital solutions, and support in designing the curriculum to meet the evolving industry requirements. Strengthening the academic-industry alliance, they also plan to co-develop digital solutions with pilots in areas like exploration, drilling and production of hydrocarbons, the statement concluded.