Over the course of seven days, Rice University’s presidential delegation crossed two countries and held meetings with many prominent universities, research institutions and government leaders.
The endeavor laid the groundwork for partnerships aimed at expanding and accelerating the university’s engagement with two of the world’s most consequential research economies,advancing Rice’s global strategy in South and Southeast Asia.
The May 11-17 presidential delegation to New Delhi, Mumbai and Singapore included President Reginald DesRoches, along with executive vice president for research David Sholl, vice president for global strategy Caroline Levander, vice president for development and alumni relations Stephen Bayer and Luay Nakhleh, the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing.
“Every conversation we had pushed us to think bigger,” DesRoches said. “The pace was intense and each meeting reinforced the tremendous opportunities for collaboration, innovation and impact. I came back genuinely energized by what’s possible for Rice in this part of the world.”
The trip comes as Rice Global India enters a new phase. After establishing an initial presence at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru in 2024, Rice Global India moved into dedicated office space in Prestige Central, steps from IISc’s campus on 36 Infantry Road.
The space sits at the center of Bengaluru’s technology corridor with direct access to universities, business districts, government offices and a startup ecosystem dense with multinational research and development operations. It is also 35 minutes from the airport, designed to accommodate a steady flow of visiting Rice faculty, students and collaborators as those programs take shape.
“This important trip was focused on building on what Rice Global India has already accomplished over the last year and a half,” Levander said. “We covered an enormous amount of ground in a very short time, and what struck me was how consistent the energy was at every stop. The ambition we brought matched the ambition we encountered.”
The itinerary reflected the breadth of Rice’s research priorities. At the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, conversations centered on brain health and AI with particular attention to the university’s Centre for Advanced Research and Excellence in Disability and Assistive Technology, a joint initiative with the All India Institutes of Medical Sciences.
Meanwhile, at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, the focus shifted to energy transition and climate technology. In Mumbai, meetings with a prominent philanthropic organization opened discussions around cancer care, diabetes research and the intersection of philanthropy and academic medicine.
“India is a fantastic example of a large, growing economy,” Sholl said. “If we want to do research that impacts the entire world, we need to be thinking seriously about how our work connects to countries like India.”
The Singapore leg added government-to-government texture through a session with a lead public research agency, as well as an opportunity to explore a new range of partnerships with Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore. With NTU ranked 12th and NUS eighth globally in the latest QS World University Rankings, the city-state operates at the frontier of applied research in AI, advanced materials, biomedical innovation and sustainability.
“The institutions we visited are doing serious work in areas where Rice already excels: AI, energy and biomedical engineering,” Nakhleh said. “That alignment creates real possibilities for research partnerships and the kind of deep academic exchange that changes a student’s trajectory.”
The itinerary was organized by Rice Global, including Sreya Ghose, director of partnerships and operations for Rice Global India, who is based in the program’s office in Bengaluru.
The delegation closed the trip with a Sunday alumni brunch in Singapore, a reminder that the work of building Rice’s presence in the region began well before this visit and will continue long after it.