UPES Inks MoU with HCLTech to Empower Students with New-Age Skills

UPES, a multidisciplinary university in Dehradun, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with HCLTech. The partnership will give students of UPES School of Business and School of Advanced Engineering access to impactful real-world learning opportunities.

This partnership marks a significant milestone in UPES’ commitment towards bridging the gap between academia and industry. Talking about the academic partnership, Dr. Ram Sharma, Vice Chancellor, UPES, said, “We are excited to announce our collaboration with HCLTech, creating unique opportunities for students and researchers to work on cutting-edge projects and internships in the energy sector. These projects aim to address critical challenges, reduce carbon footprints, and deliver value to Oil and Gas organizations. We look forward to hosting webinars and forums to explore new possibilities in Sustainability, Safety in Oil Field Operations, and Operational Excellence. This partnership fosters strong academic-industry ties, offering students practical case studies and connecting sponsors with professors to tackle industry issues, benefiting academia and industry alike.”

The collaboration encompasses several key initiatives designed to provide students and research scholars with extraordinary opportunities for growth and learning and will primarily include:

• Advanced Solutions for the Oil and Gas industry: This partnership will enable UPES students and research scholars to work on projects and internships. These projects and internships will address critical industry challenges like reducing carbon footprint. This partnership will also encourage the usage of state-of-the-art digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, Industry 4.0, Data Engineering and Cloud Computing to drive meaningful innovations for the oil and gas industry.

• Strengthening Academic-Industry Collaboration: The partnership aims to foster a strong bond between academia and industry by exposing students to practical case studies and providing industry professionals access to professors and lecturers specialising in various subjects. This exchange of ideas will facilitate innovative solutions to industry-related challenges.

• Webinars and Industry Forums: UPES and HCL Tech will also join forces to host webinars and participate in industry forums focusing on areas related to exploration and production, covering topics like sustainability, safety in oil field operations, and operational excellence to provide students with a platform to learn from industry experts and engage in meaningful discussions. 

Ajay Bahl, Corporate Vice President, HCLTech, said, “This strategic initiative will introduce solutions that promote sustainability, innovation, value optimization and prioritization of low-carbon solutions in the oil and gas industry. The partnership will focus on the development of advanced solutions for the oil and gas industry using advanced technologies such as AI/ML, GenAI, IoT, Industry 4.0, data engineering and cloud computing.”

Through this strategic partnership, HCLTech will spearhead various initiatives including the development of a comprehensive knowledge management system, co-development of cutting-edge digital solutions, and support in designing the curriculum to meet the evolving industry requirements. Strengthening the academic-industry alliance, they also plan to co-develop digital solutions with pilots in areas like exploration, drilling, and production of hydrocarbons.

This groundbreaking partnership between UPES and HCLTech promises to redefine the future of education, technology, and sustainability in the energy and engineering domains. It demonstrates their dedication towards providing students with opportunities that transcend traditional boundaries, enabling them to thrive in a space that is driven by rapid technological advancements and evolving industry needs.