UPES: Pioneering Research Excellence in India’s Higher Education

The National Education Policy 2020 emphasises research and innovation, stressing the need for financial support for academic research. UPES is widely recognised as a leading institution in research and innovation. The university has significant achievements in research, academic excellence, and industry collaborations, showcasing its role as a hub for innovation and scholarly pursuits. With a multidisciplinary, industry-aligned approach, UPES has made remarkable progress in addressing critical local and global issues.
 

Driving Research Excellence and Innovation

The university offers internal SEED funding and cutting-edge synthesis, characterisation, and high-computation facilities. UPES’s research output is growing rapidly, with approximately four papers per faculty member annually and citation averages comparable to top global institutions like MIT, NUS, Oxford, and Cambridge. As of May 2024, 54% of UPES’s publications included international co-authors, highlighting its global research impact. Since 2018, the university’s scholarly output has grown by over 370%, with a Field-Weighted Citation Impact of 1.76 in 2023 and 1.59 in 2024. Moreover, 30% of its publications appear in the top 10% of journals by CiteScore percentiles.

UPES is home to eminent scholars, including a Nobel Prize nominee. According to a Stanford University study, 42 UPES faculty members rank among the world’s top 2% of researchers in their respective fields. 

Additionally, the ‘Anusandhan’ initiative by the university keeps faculty and students globally informed, while a dedicated IPR cell focuses on technology transfer through patents and copyrights. Collaborations with prestigious organisations like CERN and KEK in Switzerland and Japan respectively, allow UPES to participate in groundbreaking projects such as the Future Circular Collider (FCC) and Belle II.
 

Academic Excellence and Industry Collaborations

UPES attracts top academic leaders from around the world, enhancing its educational offerings. Recently, the university welcomed Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awardee Prof. Karmeshu, an expert in mathematical modelling and computer simulation, and Prof. Madan Gopal, a specialist in AI/ML. These esteemed faculty members are dedicated to providing exceptional learning experiences for students. Additionally, international faculty members co-teach modules across various schools, giving students a global perspective on their subjects.

UPES excels in health and environmental sciences research. At the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIDRI), Dr. Aashish Mathur leads a team developing nanotechnology-based sensors for disease detection and environmental protection. Their innovations include sensors for detecting heavy metals in water, milk adulterants, and drugs in drinks, aimed at providing affordable healthcare and safety solutions.

As an example of excellence, Dr. Nidhi Chauhan and her team at the School of Health Science and Technology (SoHST), UPES - Bidholi, Dehradun, have been awarded a prestigious grant by BIRAC to establish the SWACHH - Social Wellness, Agriculture, Clean and Hospitable Habitat Incubation Center at UPES. The center is the first SPARSH - BIRAC Center in Uttarakhand, focusing on Climate Resilience, Farm-to-Plate, and Public Health. Over five years, it will mentor SPARSH fellows and young social innovators in developing prototypes and technologies.

In another innovation, inspired by the Swachh Bharat Mission, Dr. Bhawna Lamba is pioneering wastewater reclamation plant in India. This project utilises microalgae to purify sewage water, producing bio-oil, biogas, and bio-manure, achieving a zero-waste solution. Additionally, Dr. Lamba, along with Abhirup Khanna and Dr. Sapna Jain, has worked on an approach to predict biodiesel properties through AI and ML. UPES and institutions like Don State Technical University and the Federal Scientific Agro-Engineering Centre VIM in Russia have gained significant recognition for their sustainable energy research.

Collaboration is key to UPES’s research success. The university partners with industry giants and international universities to enhance its research output and tackle real-world challenges. For example, UPES researchers have collaborated with Russian bioenergy experts to revolutionise biodiesel production using AI and ML algorithms, showcasing UPES’s dedication to sustainable energy solutions.

Additionally, UPES has collaborated with Bajaj CSR to host the BEST (Bajaj Engineering Skills Training) initiative, after being selected as the only institution from Uttarakhand and being one of just 15 selected from across the country. This includes approximately ₹20 crore for setting up labs in Robotics, Mechatronics, IoT, and Smart Manufacturing, and about ₹5 crore for three years of operating expenses, as announced at Bajaj's annual event. This is the largest grant UPES has received from an industry partner.