Guwahati, March 10: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati hosted the Japan–NER Academia-Industry Cooperation Symposium 2026 (JNTCS 2026) on March 9–10 to strengthen academic, research and industry collaboration between Northeast India and Japan.
Jointly organised with Gifu University, Japan, the two-day symposium brought together universities, research institutions, industry representatives and policymakers from both countries to explore partnerships aimed at addressing global challenges such as food security, healthcare, environmental sustainability, clean energy and water security.
A key outcome of the symposium was the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) to establish the North East Region–Japan International Academic and Research Consortium, with 22 institutions from Northeast India joining the initiative.
Under the collaboration, IIT Guwahati will serve as the nodal institution on the Indian side, while Gifu University will coordinate activities in Japan.
The consortium is expected to expand academic exchange and research cooperation between the two regions. As part of the initiative, around 5,000 students from Northeast Indian institutions are expected to visit Japanese universities over the next five years, with a similar number of Japanese students travelling to India.
The initiative aligns with Japan’s decision to designate Northeast India as a strategic priority under the MEXT Inter-University Exchange Project since 2022, strengthening educational and research ties between the regions.
Speaking at the inaugural session, IIT Guwahati Director Prof. Devendra Jalihal said the consortium brings together engineers, scientists, medical professionals and policymakers on a common platform to drive innovation and accelerate the region’s industrial transformation.
Gifu University President Prof. Kazuhiro Yoshida said the collaboration would help strengthen education, research, technology transfer and societal engagement between institutions in India and Japan.
The event was attended by Assam Chief Secretary Dr Ravi Kora, Dr Yashawant Dev Panwar, Counsellor (Science & Technology), Embassy of India in Tokyo, and representatives from Japanese organisations including JETRO, JST, JICA and JSPS, along with members of academia and industry from both countries.
According to Prof. Sumana Dutta, Dean (Alumni and External Relations), IIT Guwahati, the consortium will create a shared platform for institutions across the Northeast to collaborate internationally and strengthen the Indo-Japan partnership under India’s Act East Policy.
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