UP tie-up with ‘MIT’ off

LUCKNOW: Last year, when UP Technical University (UPTU) announced that they will be collaborating with MIT to set up an entrepreneurial incubation centre at Institute of Engineering and Technology, many thought it will be Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), world’s best technical institute.
But, it has now come to light that it was actually a private Indian and autonomous firm, MIT Media Lab.This was revealed when Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in an e-mail to UPTU authorities, said it did not have any knowledge of any collaboration between MIT and UPTU.
Confirming that the project is now scrapped, technical education minister Shivakant Ojha said, “It’s unfortunate. We are not continuing with the project anymore. The MIT presentation we were shown is that of a commercial Indian firm and has no academic relationship with Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We will not be able to use brand MIT’s logo and thus will not be benefited.’’
What led to the revelation is a letter shot by UP principal secretary, technical education, seeking a draft MoU of MIT from UPTU authorities. When UPTU wrote to MIT, they replied saying that they have had no talk with UPTU regarding any collaboration.
In April last year, UPTU’s former vice-chancellor Prof RK Khandal had announced that UPTU will provide a platform to young entrepreneurs through direct investment, contributions by collaborative partnership among governments, industries, knowledge institutes like MIT. In the process, experts, academics and researchers from MIT would interact with academics, policy makers, students' from different institutions of the state to make the centre rolling.
A proposal was sent to MIT Media Lab. UPTU was so keen to sign an MoU with MIT Media lab. UPTU, along with MIT Media Lab officials, even made a presentation to UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and chief secretary Alok Ranjan, highlighting the advantages of the tie-up. The project was kept a top priority and was passed by UPTU’s executive council in April this year. Rs 16.96 crore was also allocated as development fee and membership charge.
After IET, incubation centres were also planned to be set up at Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, Kanpur; MMM University of Technology, Gorakhpur and UP Textile Institute, Kanpur.
UPTU's registrar Kamlesh Chaudhray said: “We had sent a mail to MIT where they have denied having any communication with us regarding the MoU. We want to collaborate with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and not any other institution.”