University of Chicago Center in Delhi Sets Ambitious Goals for Future, as Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth Launches in India

• The Center celebrates a Decade of Impact and Collaboration in India, prioritizes present and future collaborations to tackle global issues.
• The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth will balance the urgency of climate action with society's need for sustainable growth.

NEW DELHI, Dec. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the University of Chicago celebrated the 10th anniversary of its Center in Delhi and the many collaborations, relationships and scientific research it has nurtured. Taken together, these opportunities in diverse fields from liberal arts to medicine provide strong momentum for the University's outreach in India, and to the cutting-edge, cooperative work required to tackle the world's most challenging issues. Following an inaugural anniversary event in February, today the Center concludes a year of intellectual engagement celebrating its decade in India. It will focus on bringing "Ideas to Impact" for the next ten years and beyond, while strengthening its partnerships under the framework of the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). The University marked the occasion by celebrating the India launch of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth.

The new Institute, which the University launched on October 30 in Chicago, is a groundbreaking new effort that aims to leverage UChicago's unique legacy and resources to balance the risks of a changing climate with the essential need for human progress and growth through cutting-edge research, trailblazing education, and international engagement. With its launch in India, the Institute will be a platform for UChicago scholars to work with local partners to conduct research—with an initial focus on climate and sustainable growth economics and policy, energy technologies such as advanced battery development, and climate systems engineering. This work builds on the University of Chicago Center in Delhi's robust history of fostering intellectual collaboration, research, and dialogue since its inception in 2014. The Center's decade-long journey has established it as a cornerstone of UChicago's commitment to India and South Asia.

Reflecting on the Center as the hub for the University's work in India, Supratik Guha, Faculty Director, UChicago Center in Delhi, and Professor in the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME), remarked, "As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the University of Chicago Center in Delhi, we reflect on a decade of impactful collaborations that have advanced critical areas such as the liberal arts, social policy, economics, medicine and, more recently, science and technology. This milestone is not merely a celebration of past achievements but a springboard for the future. Leveraging the momentum of initiatives like the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), we aim to deepen our partnerships across academia, industry, and government to address the pressing challenges of our time, including climate change, sustainable development, and equitable access to education. The journey ahead holds immense potential, and we are committed to turning innovative ideas into actionable impact that resonates globally and strengthens the UChicago-India partnership for years to come."

Working directly with government and industry partners in eleven states through more than two dozen projects, University of Chicago researchers and engineers are having an impact on policy conversations—from making improvements to India's electricity markets and engineering sensors that monitor water pollution in real-time, to providing farmers with better weather forecasting to help them adapt and assisting in the formation of several emissions markets to reduce pollution. Much of this work has been carried out by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago's India team (EPIC India), which will be a key partner in the new Institute.

"Families in India and around the world aspire for a better life, and inexpensive energy is key to the growth that unlocks it," said Michael Greenstone, director of EPIC and the new Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth as well as the Milton Friedman Professor in Economics. "In many places and settings, fossil fuels remain the least expensive energy option, but they also cause climate change. This can put the goals of managing climate change and growth in conflict. The Institute's aim is to find ways to balance these two goals, recognizing that both are critical to our well-being. We look forward to building on a shared legacy of progress in working with Indian leaders to further this work."

Today's culmination celebration event at the Delhi Center engaged key stakeholders, including academic partners, government officials, funding agencies, and alumni, to acclaim past achievements and set the stage for ambitions in areas such as climate and sustainable growth, AI, quantum information sciences, energy, and telecommunications.

The event included keynote addresses by India's Chief Economist, V. Anantha Nageswaran, and the Government of Odisha's Chief Secretary, Shri Manoj Ahuja. It also included a fireside chat spotlighting the new Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth with Michael Greenstone and CEO of Tata Power Praveer Sinha that was moderated by the Institute's Senior Advisor Bala Srinivasan. The discussion looked at how in the coming decade, India's growth story will be guided by its policy architecture and macro stability. The fireside chat delved into the future of a greener India, powered by renewable energy initiatives and innovative technologies.

Reflecting on the role of the Center, Leni Chaudhuri, Executive Director, UChicago Center in Delhi, said, "Since its inception, the UChicago Center in Delhi has been a catalyst for innovation and change. We've fostered groundbreaking research, nurtured talented students, and built strong partnerships with leading institutions. As we look to the future, we are committed to leveraging our strengths to address critical issues. By fostering crucial collaborations, we aim to create a lasting impact on society. Our focus will be on areas such as climate change, sustainable development, and emerging technologies, where we can make a significant difference."

As the Center in Delhi enters its next decade, it reaffirms its commitment to fostering impactful collaboration between the University of Chicago and India, and in particular reinforcing the impact and success of programs such as the International Innovation Corps fellowship as well as the Development Innovation Lab. The celebration symbolized a forward-looking approach to shared challenges, solidifying UChicago's legacy of intellectual and societal contributions in the region.

About the University of Chicago

The University of Chicago is a leading academic and research institution that has driven new ways of thinking since its founding in 1890. As an intellectual destination, the University draws scholars and students from around the world to its campuses and centers around the globe. The University provides a distinctive educational experience and research environment, empowering individuals to challenge conventional thinking and pursue field-defining research that produces new understanding and breakthroughs with global impact.

About the University of Chicago Center in Delhi

Established in 2014, the Center in Delhi is a home for research and education for University of Chicago faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates working in India and throughout South Asia, as well as Indian partners and students representing a wide array of institutions and scholars from around the world. The Center promotes scholarship and teaching under three broad umbrellas: business, economics, law, and policy; science, energy, medicine, and public health; and culture, society, religion, and the arts.

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