Developing Partnerships with Top-ranked Research Institutions in India
As part of his work as the BC Regional Innovation Chair, Dr. Jon Thomas (Director, the Esposito Family Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship) partnered with IIT Madras for the International Confluence Conference on Startups and Innovation held at IIT Madras Chennai campus in December 2023.
Dr. Thomas was an invited speaker for a research workshop on qualitative research methods as well as a master session on innovation ecosystems. This inaugural conference of CREST (IITM) had leading industry and public sector CEOs and policy makers, as well as management researchers from multiple IITs, IIMs, and other research institutes across India.
Dr. Thomas was also involved as a co-organizer for a research workshop on “Returnee Entrepreneurs” along with colleagues from the Department of Management Studies, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in December 2023. The workshop was well attended with participants from across the Bangalore innovation ecosystem. Bangalore is the leading startup ecosystem in India and IISc is the leading science institute in India having been established in 1909.
Dr. Thomas was also invited as a speaker at the Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences (RUAS) Bangalore where he delivered a session on science commercialization for social impact. He also had a good discussion with Dr. K. K. Raina (Vice-Chancellor, RUAS) during which he shared information about UFV and EFCIE.
IIT Madras and IISc are typically ranked within the top 3 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework of the Government of India. In 2023, they were ranked #1 and #2 in the overall category respectively.
https://www.nirfindia.org/2023/OverallRanking.html