 "India, UK launch Ramanujan research fellowship for young scientists")
India and the United Kingdom (UK) have launched a new research fellowship programme aimed at fostering collaboration between young scientists of both countries. Named after renowned Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, the Ramanujan Junior Researchers Programme will allow young Indian physicists and mathematicians to undertake joint research at the London Institute for Mathematical Sciences (LIMS).
The initiative, supported by India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST), was announced following UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent visit to India. It draws inspiration from Ramanujan’s historic 1913 collaboration with British mathematician G.H. Hardy.
“Our Ramanujan Junior Researchers Programme will act as a bridge for the exchange of talents between two science superpowers,” said Dr Thomas Fink, Director of LIMS. “The work Ramanujan did with Hardy transformed mathematical sciences. This, along with the success of our fellowships for theorists from Russia and Ukraine, has inspired us to welcome some of India’s brightest minds to our rooms at the Royal Institution.”
Programme to nurture next-gen Indian researchers
The initiative was championed by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami, with support from Professor Krishnaswamy Vijay Raghavan, former Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
“The story of Hardy and Ramanujan reminds us that science advances not through isolation, but through friendship and dialogue,” Doraiswami said. “This programme will give young Indian scientists the same chance Ramanujan once had — to test their ideas in the world’s most stimulating environments.”
Under the DST-funded first phase, PhD students — called Ramanujan Junior Visitors — from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) will be selected. Up to six students will spend several months at LIMS in London’s Mayfair, attending lectures and collaborating with researchers.
In its second phase, the scheme will expand to include Ramanujan Junior Fellowships, open to early-career researchers across India. These fellowships will offer three-year positions at LIMS, enabling young Indian scientists to work closely with their British counterparts.
LIMS, located at the Royal Institution, is known for its focus on full-time theoretical research. It has been associated with several Nobel Prizes and major scientific discoveries, including the principles of electromagnetism and the identification of ten chemical elements.
(With inputs from PTI)