India
Innovative thinkers and problem solvers from India have made Cornell their Ivy League university for more than a century. Today, Global Hubs partners, deep learning and research collaborations, and 1,600 alumni bring Cornell and India together.
Expanding Hubs Partnerships
Cornell is exploring collaborative opportunities in India with public and private institutions of higher education. We have partnerships with the universities below and are in conversation with other potential partners.
Cornell Education Research Foundation
The Cornell Education Research Foundation (CERF) in India supports a broad range of activities and services in partnership with Cornell’s colleges and schools.
University Partners
Ashoka University
Ashoka University is a private, nonprofit liberal arts university established in 2014, offering undergraduate and graduate programs across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Located in Sonipat, Haryana, the university emphasizes multidisciplinary education, scholarship, and research, attracting students and faculty from around the world.
O.P. Jindal Global University
O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), established in 2009, is a private, nonprofit research institution recognized as an Institute of Eminence. With a focus on global engagement, interdisciplinary education, and research, JGU collaborates internationally across sectors. Its 80-acre residential campus in Sonipat, Haryana, houses nine schools spanning law, business, policy, and the arts.
Indian Institute of Science
Indian Institute of Science (IISc), founded in 1909, is a public research university for science and engineering. It was designated as an Institute of Eminence in 2018 and emphasizes interdisciplinary research, innovation, and global collaboration. Its Bengaluru campus hosts diverse engineering, natural sciences, and technology programs, attracting top faculty and students worldwide.
Experiential Learning in India
How to Become a Global Citizen
Haruna Floate '26 (CALS) spent 10 weeks at Ashoka University during the summer of 2024 in the Integrative Genetics and Evolution Laboratory led by Sudipta Tung. As an intern in their International Summer Research Program, Floate contributed to a project investigating the effects of diet on behavior and aging in fruit flies. Read about Floate's experience in the Cornell Chronicle.
“As a nutritional sciences major at Cornell, I loved being able to connect my classroom knowledge to laboratory research, all while immersing myself in the rich and vibrant culture of India. My summer at Ashoka helped me to strengthen my sense of cultural awareness, intercultural communication, and empathy. I will carry these takeaways with me as I pursue my professional goals of serving as a multilingual healthcare provider.”
Hands-On Learning in Sustainable Development
The Nilgiris Field Learning Program (NFLP) connects Cornell faculty and students with practitioners and community members in southern India to explore sustainability, conservation, livelihoods, and education through a partnership between the Keystone Foundation (an Indian non-governmental organization) and Cornell. The NFLP summer program focuses on community wellness, mental health, health systems, and healthcare delivery in resource-limited settings. Professor of Anthropology Andrew Willford (A&S) is the faculty director.
Gaining Global Research Skills
As a FLAS Fellow, Phoebe Wagner spent a year studying Hindi and conducting qualitative research in North India with support from the Einaudi Center. Based at Navdanya Biodiversity Farm in Dehradun, she examined sacred sites to explore how cultural connections to landscapes support biocultural diversity. This experience strengthened her research skills and shaped her career in public opinion analysis.
“Studying Hindi with Professor Sujata Singh and connecting with students in the South Asia Program were highlights of the fellowship during my time on campus. Over the summer, researching in India deepened my understanding of cultural and ecological resilience. The FLAS Fellowship enabled me to pursue my graduate degree and contributed to my career path.”
Faculty and Leadership
Cornell Leadership Connects with Alumni and Partners in India
(April 2024) A Cornell delegation led by Vice Provost for International Affairs Wendy Wolford visited India in April to strengthen partnerships with top institutions and connect with alumni. Faculty and staff met with researchers and university leaders in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Chennai, exploring collaboration opportunities in public health, engineering, and sustainability. The trip also included alumni gatherings and cultural experiences, deepening Cornell’s ties with India’s academic and professional communities. Read more about the visit.
Cornell Faculty Leads
Sarah Besky
Director of South Asia Program; Professor, Anthropology of Work (ILR) and Anthropology (A&S)
"Our partners in India offer unique spaces to promote research collaborations and student exchange opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines from across Cornell's colleges and schools. For me, broadening the inclusiveness and internationalism of our community here—and cultivating research and learning that emerges from these exchanges—is one of the most exciting potentials of Cornell Global Hubs."
Aditya Vashistha
Assistant Professor, Information Science, Cornell Bowers CIS
"India is a world power and an emerging economy with rich cultural diversity. My work focuses on technology and social impact. We have a program where students from India are part of my lab, and it's also important for us to collaborate in India. Our partnerships are essential to identify the right problems to work on and pool and share the resources and knowledge."
Alumni Tribute: Remembering Ratan Tata
The late Ratan N. Tata ’59, BArch ’62, was one of India’s most influential and respected business leaders and philanthropists and a former Cornell trustee who became the university’s largest international donor—supporting scholarships, research to reduce rural poverty and malnutrition in India, and technology innovation.
