The Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) conducted the two-day Japan-NER Academia-Industry Cooperation Symposium 2026 (JNTCS 2026) jointly with Gifu University, Japan, with an aim to strengthen Northeast India’s academic, research, and industry collaboration with Japan.
The event provided a platform for academic, research, and business organizations across the Northeast region to interact with their counterparts from Japan with a vision to come together to solve global problems such as food security, healthcare, the environment, sustainable energy, and clean water.
Additionally, the initiative paved the way for global exposure and education for students and researchers in the Northeast. This will include multilateral collaborations in numerous disciplines spanning across science, technology, and medicine.
As Japan has designated Northeast India as a strategic priority since 2022 (MEXT Inter-University Exchange Project), this joint exercise will facilitate 5,000 students from Northeast Indian institutions visiting Japanese universities and an equal number coming to India within the next five years.
Speaking during the inaugural event, IIT-G director Prof. Devendra Jalihal said, “Today marks a new beginning, as institutions across states unite to form a unique consortium that brings together engineers, medical professionals, scientists, and policymakers—groups who rarely have the chance to interact.” We believe such collaborations will accelerate the region’s growth and drive its industrial transformation.”
A key milestone of the symposium was the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) for participation in the North East Region–Japan International Academic and Research Consortium.
This LoI will serve as a gateway for India’s Act East Policy towards ASEAN and East Asia and establish a platform for Northeast Indian institutions to collaborate with Japanese institutions to explore academic and research partnerships. A total of 22 institutions from the Northeast region signed this LoI.
Under this collaboration, IIT Guwahati will be the nodal institution on the Indian side, and Gifu University will be the coordinating institution on the Japanese side.
Speaking during the event, Prof. Kazuhiro Yoshida, President, Gifu University, said, “The four pillars of an academic institution—education, research, technology transfer, and societal service—define our core commitments. I am confident that this consortium will help us advance each of these goals in a meaningful and collaborative way.”
This launch of the Northeast India-Japan International Academic and Research Consortium opens up opportunities for global exposure and education for students and researchers in the Northeast.
