Tag: University of Leeds

IIT Kharagpur and University of Leeds Sign MoU for Joint Supervision of PhD Programs

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur signed of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Leeds (UoL) in recognition of the growing importance of India and a long-term partnership with University of Leeds. This collaboration aims to enhance academic and research cooperation through the joint supervision of PhD programs in the fields of Civil Engineering, Transport Studies, and Biological Sciences.

A team from IIT Kharagpur was invited to join the University of Leeds’ 25-Year Celebrations in Delhi on the 28th of June 2024. This special occasion also featured the signing of the Joint External Supervision Agreement, commemorating the longstanding relationship between University of Leeds and IIT Kharagpur.  The signing comes at an opportune moment for IITKGP, hot on the heels of a 13-member team visit of faculty members from IIT Kharagpur to University of Leeds during June 4-6, 2024.

Prof. Rabibrata Mukherjee, Dean, International Relations, IIT Kharagpur, opined that “IIT KGP is excited to team up with University of Leeds to explore the diversity of academic partnership. Under the aegis of the MoU, several activities have been carried out including joint research projects, exchange of students and faculty members, joint guidance of student thesis, etc. To further strengthen the collaboration, the two Institutes now have the External Joint Supervision Agreement, which will immensely benefit doctoral students, wherein they will receive mentorship and guidance from faculty members of both the Institutes. The initial themes of collaboration that have been identified are Clean Energy for All, Sustainable Transport, Resilient Infrastructure, Healthcare and Well-Being, Chemicals and Waster, and Water and Sanitation which also address some of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.”

University of Leeds

Prof. Manuel Barcia, Dean of Global Engagement at the University of Leeds, commented on the partnership, saying, “We are thrilled to embark on this collaborative journey with IIT Kharagpur. This MoU not only strengthens our international ties but also underscores our commitment to fostering global academic excellence. By integrating our research capabilities and academic expertise, we are paving the way for innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. This partnership will undoubtedly enhance the educational experience for our students and contribute to groundbreaking advancements starting with the fields of Civil Engineering, Transport Studies, and Biological Sciences. We are optimistic that as this partnership strengthens further, we will broaden our collaboration to other subject areas to benefit more students, researchers and the world at large.”

In an endeavour to continue the path of sustained collaboration with University of Leeds, IIT KGP has already started discussions on the ‘Jointly Funded Bilateral Mobility Agreement’ and it is also expected that IIT KGP will be a part of the ‘Joint Virtual Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Development’ which is being envisioned by the University of Leeds.

IIT Kharagpur

In addition to the above, IIT KGP is also looking into the possibility of participating in the ‘Leeds International Partners Conference’ which is slotted to take place in December 2024 and will be the first of its kind for Leeds. It is expected that this would give IIT KGP an opportunity to make its existing collaboration with the University of Leeds more robust and effectively use the platform to engage with its partners and share knowledge on topics of mutual interest.

This collaboration between the University of Leeds and IIT Kharagpur is poised to have a transformative impact on the future of higher education and research in both countries. By combining the strengths of two leading institutions, this partnership will foster an environment of innovation, creativity, and intellectual exchange. Students and researchers will benefit from diverse perspectives and cutting-edge resources, paving the way for groundbreaking discoveries and advancements.

Also, by working together to tackle global issues, this MoU will serve as an example of international cooperation. Biological sciences, transport studies, and civil engineering are among the fields where the merger of knowledge and experience from both institutions would not only improve research and education quality but also help solve important problems. Through this relationship, other universities will be inspired to explore comparable projects to strengthen international academic and research networks and set the standard for future collaborations.

The new partnership is in line with both institutes’ strategic objectives to promote multidisciplinary research and broaden their global networks. The University of Leeds and IIT Kharagpur are sure that their partnership will result in ground-breaking findings and have a long-lasting effect on society.

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Stay home or stay close

Preliminary findings from a joint survey undertaken by RCGSIDM and the University of Leeds show drastic changes in travel patterns in the post-Covid-19 scenario

For the first time in many years, Bengalis celebrated Poila Baisakh in a way they had scarcely done before – locked up at home with their families but minus the gaiety, the rituals, their unique spread of food or the co-mingling that accompany the occasion. So did Punjabis, Malayalis, Odias, Tamils, the Assamese and many other communities who celebrate April 14 each year as the start of the new year in their respective calendars.

No one knows what will happen next year. But from the data collected by the Ranbir and Chitra Gupta School of Infrastructure Design and Management and the University of Leeds, a picture seems to be emerging about how people will be conducting their life in the next few months, or perhaps for some years, that is, till the threat from Covid-19 does not recede.

Together with the University of Leeds, which is a partner of IIT Kharagpur in the Government of India’s Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC), RCGSIDM has been conducting an online survey to look into how Covid-19 is affecting the travel habits and work patterns of people so as to help the government frame policies for the future.

Dr. Arkopal Goswami, Assistant Professor, RCGSIDM, and the Indian PI of the project says, “As Indians brace up for Lockdown 2.0, a team of researchers from IIT Kharagpur and University of Leeds have been exploring how long lasting could be the impact of CoVID-19 on our travel behaviour. Will it change our travel behaviour forever or will it be business as usual soon?”

Phase I of the survey is over. Preliminary findings from Phase I of the survey show how drastically people are willing to reconsider their preferences with regard to work and leisure in the post-Covid-19 scenario. For example, if there was a reduction of 30% in work/study related activities that required travel in the times that immediately preceded the lockdown, there is likely to be as much as 51%-55% reduction in such activities if the threat from Covid-19 continues.

The non-work related activities, such as shopping, exercise, leisure, etc, is likely to register an even worse decline – from 48% to a whopping 62%-66% if the threat from Covid-19 worsens.

Travel patterns, in fact, might undergo drastic changes with social distancing emerging as the norm. The initial findings from the survey reveal that modes of travel that do not allow social distancing – such as travel by public transport, that is, in autorickshaws, buses, train, or Metro – in fact, even walking, are likely going to become less popular.

Naturally, modes of transport that allows for social distancing – such as personal car, taxi rides, or travel by Ola or Uber cabs – are likely to become immensely popular. However, the initial survey readings from the data show that there is unlikely to be any significant increase in the trip share for the ride-hailing services since people are likely to take “fewer and shorter trips” to procure essential items. The survey shows that people will be unwilling to travel more than 5 kms, and they are likely to prefer either walking this distance or using bicycles, cycle rickshaws, motorcycles etc.

In fact, preliminary findings of the survey show a likely sharp hike – 15% – in preference for e-commerce platforms for purchasing their daily essentials, etc. The increase is also likely to be registered for motorcycle trips.

Among the 19 states and Union territories from which responses were received for Phase I of the survey, West Bengal show some unique traits. For example, according to the findings, if the Covid-19 threat continues or aggravates, there is likely to be a greater increase in e-commerce activities in the state when compared to the rest of India (ROI). In fact, West Bengal is also likely to show an increase in the use of cars (5% increase against the normal scenario), which is a mode that allows an individual to maintain social distance.

The joint research team believes that policies to overcome the crisis while minimizing the disruptions need a good understanding of how different people are changing their activity and travel patterns.

In addition to India, the survey has also been released in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Colombia. The team is also working with partners in other developing countries such as Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa, etc. so as to tailor-make the survey for their situation and release it there as well. This will enable the researchers to make a comparative analysis of the change in travel and activity patterns across nations.

The team is doing a short follow-up Phase-II survey.

To take the survey, please go to https://forms.gle/jWpXUxAmbQ7UUHAB6

For the preliminary findings from Phase I of the survey, please click on the YouTube video:

 

 

A changing world

A joint study by the Ranbir and Chitra Gupta School of Infrastructure Design and Management and the University of Leeds is trying to look into how Covid-19 might change social activities and travel patterns

A national lockdown for 21 days. Work from home. Classes on Zoom. Shopping for essentials only when it is truly essential. The entire family thrown into a togetherness they could scarcely afford earlier.

Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives drastically in a matter of a few days. Suddenly, nothing can be taken for granted. Not even the morning newspaper or the milk at the doorstep.

How different does the world seem to people? Is the difference being uniformly felt?

In these days of social media heist, when everyone is being bombarded with information about Covid-19, have the right information about the disease percolated down?

The lockdown is bound to end. The pandemic will retreat eventually. But will things go back to normal? Or will there be a new normal where people will be forced to revisit their choices of how they shop, travel, socialize and spend their leisure?

Nothing is known for certain. But as people know more about the disease, the continuing threat from it till the world of medicine comes up with a wonder drug to resist it, they are gradually forming ideas about how they are going to pick up their lives from here.

A joint study conducted by Ranbir and Chitra Gupta School of Infrastructure Design and Management of IIT Kharagpur and the University of Leeds is trying to look into what people are thinking. The team believes that “policies to overcome the crisis, while minimizing the disruptions, need a good understanding of how different people are changing their activity and travel patterns.”

In order to gather more information about how people intend to carry on with their lives, the public perceptions about Covid-19, how responsive and how dependable they find the administration in the public health crisis, the researchers are reaching out to as many people possible through a survey.

Dr. Arkopal K. Goswami, Assistant Professor of RCGSIDM, and research scholars Eeshan Bhaduri and Manoj BS, who are part of this research team, say that such unprecedented times may give us rich data on the travel behaviour of the heterogeneous population of India. Are people walking to the closest grocery store, instead of driving their car or riding their motorcycle to a grocery store far away? Are people making greater use of online platforms for their daily needs? How frequently are they working from home? “Such data will not only give us a glimpse of how COVID-19 has changed the activities and travel patterns, but it also may help researchers in planning for sustainable urban development for the future,” said Prof. Goswami.

Dr. Charisma Choudhury, research collaborator from University of Leeds and Associate Professor at the Institute for Transport Studies and School of Civil Engineering at UoL, adds that the current worldwide situation is so unprecedented, that there was no scope to device data-driven policies to tackle the scenario. “The ongoing collaboration between the University of Leeds and IIT Kharagpur enabled us to quickly delve to address this gap. With insights about travel behaviour in the current, pre-COVID19 and hypothetical future scenarios, the research can be immensely useful when India and other countries around the world formulate plans to transition from the current lockdown to normal scenarios,” said Prof. Choudhury.

In addition to India, the survey has also been released in Bangladesh. The team is also working with partners in other developing countries such as Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa, etc. so as to tailor-make the survey for their situation and release it there as well. This will enable the researchers to make a comparative analysis of the change in travel and activity patterns across nations.

The questionnaire seeks the respondent’s answer for 3 scenarios (a) activity-travel under existing COVID situation; (b) activity-travel under normal NON-COVID situation in the past; and (c) activity-travel under probable future COVID situations.

You too can participate in this study by giving your own comments at any of the links below. Do feel free to share this link and forward the link to your friends (specifically in your respective home towns) and to your extended family members.

Find the link [FOR FB] – https://forms.gle/PPCLrKCwXr2uz9q78

Find the link [FOR TWITTER] – https://forms.gle/tjGzqzHytSfbNih48

Find the link  [FOR LinkedIn] – https://forms.gle/E6coumkisSEDAuiF9