Prime Minister Fiala holds talks in India on expanding scientific research cooperation

At the end of his working trip to India, Prime Minister Petr Fiala visited Rajasthan on Thursday 11 January 2024. He and a number of Czech scientists and academicians visited the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMS) of Jaipur University, where he met with the school management and academicians, and discussed the development of joint research projects and the expansion of cooperation between universities and research institutions. During the visit, the Prime Minister received an honorary doctorate from NIMS University.

In his speech at the university, the Prime Minister emphasised that the conclusion of the Czech-Indian strategic partnership in innovation will promote cooperation between both countries in many areas such as science, the defence industry, cyber security, health, environment and energy, modern transport infrastructure, agriculture and food. “We will support joint initiatives aimed at transferring new knowledge and technologies. Mobility of students, academics and researchers is a key part of the new partnership. We want to facilitate the implementation of joint research projects. And we want to make the most of our joint intellectual potential. The number of students from India at Czech universities is growing. This is really good news,” said Prime Minister Fiala.

NIMS University’s Faculty of Medicine is among the best in India. This university is an example of successful cooperation with Czech universities and scientific institutions. It has long been cooperating, for example, with the University Hospital in Motol and in the field of agriculture with the Czech University of Agriculture. During his visit to the university, Prime Minister Fiala received an honorary doctorate from the Rector Balvir S. Tomar. “It is a great honour. I do not see this as a personal award, but as an expression of respect for the Czech Republic and appreciation of the cooperation that has been taking place here for a long time,” the Prime Minister added.

The support programme for the joint Czech-Indian project, which ended in 2022, was successful. There were twenty research projects that could benefit from it. “We hope that a new work plan for the next three years will be signed soon. Our Ministry of Education is ready to finance the Czech participation,” the Prime Minister added. During the visit to the university, a Memorandum of Cooperation was also signed between the Czech Technical University in Prague and NIMS University to create a hub in digital partnership in the Indo-Pacific.

The Prime Minister also inspected the site of the Mařík Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Cybernetics that should be opened this year. He then unveiled the cornerstone of the construction of the Petr Fiala Global Institute for Innovation and Research in Healthcare, named after the Czech Prime Minister. It will be involved in various research activities in the field of medicine and health, including biomedical research, health systems research and innovation in medical technology.