Rice University, a private university in the US, is expanding its international presence with the launch of Rice Global India wherein it will foster global collaboration and advance its contributions to India’s rapidly growing education and technology sectors.

The University on November 18 hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new hub in Bengaluru thereby laying the foundation for planned formal operations in the region and strengthening the university’s growing network across India.

During the ceremony, the team also met with Priyank Kharge, Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and science and Technology, Government of Karnataka to explore long-standing partnership opportunities for promoting Global Capability Centers (GCC).

As part of this strategic expansion, Rice University is deepening its collaborations with institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru. These partnerships will foster advanced research initiatives, student and faculty exchanges and collaborations in key areas of mutual interest such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and sustainable energy, the US university stated.

Rice is introducing the ‘Rice Excellence Scholarship’ of USD $10 million to support outstanding students, including those from India. The amount will be distributed over a period of five years. It covers both tuition and living expenses for eligible students and is merit-based with no separate application required.

“India is a country of tremendous opportunity, one where we see the potential to make a meaningful impact through collaboration in research, innovation and education,” Rice President Reginald DesRoches said.