UPES-Merck Collaboration: A significant step in skilling young researchers

UPES is a research-centric university with a multidisciplinary approach to providing quality education, skill development and employability. The university has seasoned researchers in its teaching faculty and industry specialists on the advisory boards. UPES aims at improving the quality of human life by providing solutions to long-standing research problems. Towards this goal, the university has developed relevant research facilities and collaborations. Recently, UPES signed an MoU with Merck Life Sciences, which is one of the leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies in the world that provides solutions to treat various lethal diseases. The alliance between UPES and Merck has increased the learning potential of the students manifold, leading to the modernization of academics and skill enhancement, which paves a pathway towards a highly employable workforce for the industry. Combining the strength of two leading forces in technology and academics, the UPES-Merck collaboration will enable students to have better problem-solving skills and knowledge of cutting-edge technologies. It will also facilitate tech and knowledge transfer across the university and the industry. As a result of this collaboration, students of Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D. programs from the School of Health Sciences and Technology, UPES, are being trained at the Merck High-End Skill Development Centre at IMTech, Chandigarh. The workshop comprises several techniques in molecular biology. It is being carried out through a series of lectures followed by hands-on training sessions. Throughout the sessions, students are exposed to the fundamentals of recombinant DNA technology along with the ability to handle instruments like nanodrop, gel documentation system, agarose gel electrophoresis, polymerase chain reaction, centrifugation apparatus, Multiplex ELISA, SMCxPRO Immunoassay System, SNAP id® 2.0 Protein Detection System, etc. Students in the workshop are encouraged to work independently. Based on students’ feedback after attending the workshop, it is inferred that the program is being delivered in an informative and interactive way. Funbased activities, along with quizzes, are helping them in learning and building advanced skills. Each experiment is performed individually and repeated until they gain confidence in doing it by themselves. These skills are helping them in their research and jobs in industries. As an extension of this industry-academia collaboration, both these partners are planning to submit joint research collaborations, organise joint conferences, and explore possibilities of internship programs. Besides, they are also working to enable the exchange of academic information and materials to support mutual growth. The partnership will create more tech-driven research in the area of health sciences, which will enable students to acquire industry-ready skills.