TGCHE urges industry-academia collaboration under US-India TRUST

Prof V Balakista Reddy, Chairman of the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE), has called for deeper industry-academia collaboration under the US-India TRUST initiative, emphasising the need to harness mutual benefits in the wake of internationalisation of higher education.

He was speaking at a panel discussion during a one-day conference on ‘Leveraging US-India TRUST,’ organised jointly by the US Consulate in Hyderabad and the World Trade Centre, Shamshabad, on Thursday. The conference focused on partnerships in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cybersecurity.

Prof Reddy highlighted that the TGCHE has initiated transformative reforms in the higher education ecosystem over the past two years. He cited curriculum revisions and Memorandums of Understanding signed with NASSCOM and BDMA to provide industrial training for students in Telangana. He stressed that continuous learning and skill development are essential to meet global demands in science and technology, particularly given India’s demographic dividend.

He urged global industries to tap opportunities in Telangana, which hosts a large number of technical institutions capable of catering to international markets. Prof. Reddy added that growing collaboration between India and the US offers scope for establishing networks between universities in Telangana and the US, facilitating industry-academia tie-ups in AI and cybersecurity under the Indo-US 2025 TRUST framework.

The Chairman was felicitated by Laura Williams, Consul General of the US Consulate in Hyderabad. In her inaugural address, Williams called for meaningful partnerships that would deepen collaborations, strengthen academic ties, and promote the sharing of best practices to overcome hurdles in industry-academia cooperation.

Prof. Reddy reaffirmed TGCHE’s commitment to affordable, accessible, and quality higher education, while encouraging global partnerships to drive innovation and skill development.