Leader of Indian university visits UW-Madison

As part of an ongoing effort to forge stronger ties with leading educational institutions in India, the University of Wisconsin–Madison is hosting P.K. Abdul Azis, the vice chancellor of India’s Aligarh Muslim University, on campus today and tomorrow, Aug. 7-8.

While on campus, Azis will meet with top university officials, including Chancellor John Wiley, and officials from the UW Foundation and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. Discussions will center on increasing the amount of academic and professional exchange between the two institutions.

Azis’ visit comes during the final weeks of the Khorana Program for scientific exchange, a program that brings promising Indian scholars to work in top UW–Madison labs for the summer. The exchange program is a first-of-its-kind partnership between UW–Madison and several universities in India. Two of this summer’s scholars are from Aligarh Muslim University.

“Dr. Azis is a dynamic individual moving an iconic university into the 21st century,” says UW–Madison biochemistry professor Aseem Ansari, one of the founders and co-director of the Khorana Program. “It’s our privilege and pleasure to host him on our campus and discuss future collaborations.”

While the Khorana Program is in its second summer, program co-director Ken Shapiro, an associate dean in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, says the goal is to expand the program in the future by sending UW–Madison students to India.

“We would also like to establish industry connections to be able to give students from UW and from India the opportunity to obtain internships in leading companies in both countries,” Shapiro adds.