(MENAFN- Avian We) New Delhi, India, 18 November 2025: Ashoka University, India’s preeminent private research university, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Engineering), U.S.A., to advance collaborative research and academic mobility for students and faculty in emerging fields of science, technology, and interdisciplinary education. This agreement marks another significant milestone in the partnership between the two institutions, deepening their longstanding relationship and expanding their collaboration into new areas of research, teaching, and innovation.
Under this agreement, the two universities will pursue multiple avenues of collaboration to strengthen academic and research engagement. These include the exchange of faculty, researchers, and students for joint academic and research initiatives; sharing of information, knowledge, and scholarly resources; and the development and implementation of collaborative research programmes in areas of mutual interest.
To achieve these goals, both institutions will promote academic and institutional mobility by inviting faculty and researchers to undertake collaborative projects at the partner university and by hosting graduate and undergraduate students for short-term study or research residencies. The partnership will also facilitate the organisation of joint symposia, conferences, and workshops on emerging research themes, as well as the execution of collaborative research projects and the exchange of academic resources and data within agreed domains. Together, these initiatives aim to establish a sustained and dynamic platform for global knowledge creation and innovation.
Professor Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering, said, “We are delighted to strengthen our engagement with Ashoka University, whose interdisciplinary approach aligns closely with Penn Engineering’s commitment to integrating knowledge across fields. This partnership opens new avenues for collaborative research and creates meaningful pathways for outstanding students to join Penn Engineering’s graduate programs.”
Building on this institutional collaboration, the universities have also introduced a ‘Four Plus One’ (4+1) academic pathway, enabling outstanding Ashoka University undergraduates to pursue accelerated master’s degrees at Penn Engineering if admitted. Under this arrangement, eligible Ashoka students can transfer up to three approved courses from their undergraduate studies toward the completion of a master’s program at Penn, allowing them to earn the degree within a shorter time frame.
Applications for the 4+1 program can be submitted by students after the sixth semester and no later than their final semester at Ashoka University. Applicants must be nominated internally by Ashoka University and must meet all academic and testing requirements outlined by Penn Engineering. Admission decisions will rest solely with Penn Engineering, and students accepted will complete the remainder of their degree as full-time residents at Penn, gaining access to world-class laboratories, research facilities, and interdisciplinary learning opportunities.
Professor Boon Thau Loo, RCA Chair Professor in Computer and Information Science and Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Global Initiatives at Penn Engineering, added, “The new 4+1 pathway and opportunities for joint research will bring Ashoka’s talented students and faculty into Penn Engineering’s vibrant research

ecosystem. We are excited to welcome Ashoka students to Penn, and to continue building partnerships that support global scientific discovery.”

“The collaboration presents exciting opportunities for both Ashoka University and the University of Pennsylvania. Through student exchanges, joint classrooms, and collaborative research, scholars will not only have access to advanced laboratories and global expertise but also learn to think across cultures and disciplines,” said Professor Somak Raychaudhury, Vice-Chancellor of Ashoka University.

“We are certain our partnership will strengthen pedagogy in emerging fields such as AI and data science, while enabling our students and faculty to work in world-class research environments, collaborate with leading global academics, and collaboratively develop solutions to pressing issues of climate change, artificial intelligence, healthcare, sustainability, and more,” he added.

Pramath Raj Sinha, Founder & Chairperson, Board of Trustees, Ashoka University, and an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, said, “This partnership represents a significant milestone in Ashoka University’s journey of global engagement for our students. Penn and Penn Engineering have been founding partners for Ashoka since the launch of our flagship Young India Fellowship in 2011, with Penn faculty teaching at the YIF for the past 14 years. Now, this partnership enters a new phase - offering Ashoka students the best of both worlds: a world-class undergraduate degree in India and an Ivy League Master’s. It reflects our shared commitment to advancing excellence in research, teaching, and innovation. Beyond Ashoka, this collaboration will help stimulate excellence and innovation across India’s higher education landscape and contribute meaningfully to nation-building.”

This partnership combines Ashoka’s strengths in interdisciplinary education with Penn Engineering’s global leadership in technology and applied research and seeks to create a vibrant ecosystem of learning and discovery. Ashoka students will gain access to Penn Engineering’s world-class research ecosystem, advanced laboratories, and interdisciplinary learning opportunities in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, data science, and sustainability. In turn, Penn students and faculty will engage with Ashoka’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach, rooted in critical inquiry and social impact, offering a deeper understanding of India’s rapidly evolving innovation landscape.
Before this agreement, Ashoka University and Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences had already established a collaborative programme in 2017 — the Global Gateway Program— which enabled graduates of Ashoka’s Young India Fellowship to enrol in a one-year Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) at Penn. Omnia – an earlier partnership provided Ashoka students with immersive exposure to interdisciplinary liberal arts study in the U.S., while enriching Penn’s academic community with diverse global perspectives. In addition, numerous alumni of Penn serve on Ashoka’s faculty and dozens of Ashoka and Penn students and alumni have visited and studied on both campuses over the past decade. These peer connections have resulted in multiple joint research and scholarly activities between the faculty of Penn and Ashoka.
About Penn Engineering:
The School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania is comprised of six academic departments and numerous interdisciplinary centers, institutes, and laboratories. Penn Engineering’s goal is to prepare students for leadership roles in a technological world where creativity, critical quantitative thinking, effective communication skills and a strong commitment to humane values are essential.

An Ivy League university located in the city of Philadelphia, Penn was the first of its kind, a university created for the purpose of building knowledge that would benefit the future of our country and mankind. Established in 1852 as the School of Mines, Arts and Manufactures, Penn Engineering is among the oldest engineering programs in the United States. Today, Penn Engineering is one of the University’s twelve schools, and offers degrees at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels.

Penn Engineering students have access to all that the University of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia have to offer, including hands-on research and design experience in a contiguous, urban campus. The close proximity to Penn’s other schools, including Medicine, Law, Business, and Design enables and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration. From biotechnology and nanotechnology to artificial intelligence and robotics, Penn Engineering’s research is at the forefront of scientific and technological frontiers.

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