The University of Ulster is well placed to play its part in satisfying the rapidly growing international research demands of the digital revolution, according to Professor Gerard Parr, head of a UK-India government drive to put ICT collaboration on a vibrant new footing.

Professor Parr, who holds the Chair of Telecommunications Engineering at Coleraine, has headed a 12-month study, involving experts from four other UK universities and leading Indian technology institutes, aimed at building technology, research and teaching cooperation.

“A plan of action over the next six months is under way for development of joint research with the key academics, industries and government officials from both the UK and India,” he said on return from Madras where he unveiled the strategy at a Next Generation Networks symposium organised by both governments.

“The programme will help put funding mechanisms in place to actively encourage leading researchers and companies to pursue innovative research and technology transfer. It will power the next generation of communications technology and usher in a new era of ICT research and technology transfer between Britain and India, the world’s second fastest growing economy.”

Professor Parr says the University of Ulster is in pole position to respond to the challenge.
“The ICT sector is under-going a period of rapid change in both the UK and India. The university sector has to be in a position to respond to the research challenges brought about by new demands from consumers of digital communications, as well as in terms of collaborative research and demand for trained people from the industrial base and service providers to manage the emerging national infrastructures.”

“The Technical Workshop at the symposium was a great success. There was an excellent representation from government, industry and academia from all over India and we received a lot of coverage in local television and newspapers,” said Professor Parr. “There was also great interest in an announcement for Scholarships to our MSc in Telecommunications and Internet Systems which runs at Coleraine campus.”

For further information, please contact:

David Young
Telephone: 028 90366074
Email: David Young