Rice University announces strategic expansion into India with Rice Global India

BENGALURU, India and HOUSTON, Nov. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rice University, a global leader in research and innovation, is expanding its international presence with the launch of Rice Global India. This strategic initiative underscores the university's commitment to fostering global collaboration and advancing its contributions to India's rapidly growing education and technology sectors.

Today the university hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new hub in Bengaluru, India's third-largest city and the center of the country's high-tech industry. This milestone lays the foundation for planned formal operations in the region and strengthens the university's growing network across India, including its collaborations with top-tier research and academic institutions.

"India is a country of tremendous opportunity, one where we see the potential to make a meaningful impact through collaboration in research, innovation and education," Rice President Reginald DesRoches said. "Our presence in India is a critical step in expanding our global reach, and we are excited to engage more with India's academic leaders and industries to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. This expansion reflects our commitment to fostering a more interconnected world where education and research transcend borders."

As part of this strategic expansion, Rice is deepening its collaborations with prestigious institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru. These partnerships will foster advanced research initiatives, student and faculty exchanges and collaborations in key areas of mutual interest such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and sustainable energy, university leaders said.

Why India?

India's growing influence in areas such as energy, climate change, artificial intelligence and biotechnology aligns with Rice's own research priorities outlined in the university's recently unveiled strategic plan, Momentous: Personalized Scale for Global Impact. The strategic expansion highlights Rice's intention to contribute to India's innovation ecosystem by engaging in joint research initiatives, faculty collaborations and student exchanges with leading institutions.

"India's position as one of the world's fastest-growing education and technology markets makes it a crucial partner for Rice's global vision," said Caroline Levander, vice president for global at Rice. "The U.S.-India relationship, underscored by initiatives like the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, provides fertile ground for educational, technological and research exchanges."

Founded in 1912, Rice is located in the heart of Houston, a coastal city considered the most diverse metropolis in the United States. Known as the energy capital of the world, Houston  is also home to the Texas Medical Center, the world's leading health care complex, and boasts a pioneering legacy in space exploration and industry.

Rice is consistently rated as one of the premier universities in the country. Forbes ranked the university No. 9 nationwide in its list of best colleges for the 2024-25 school year, while Niche ranked Rice the eighth best college in the United States. U.S. News & World Report ranked Rice No. 6 for best value.

Click here to watch a video of the launch event in India. 

Learn more about Rice Global here.

About Rice University
Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of architecture, business, continuing studies, engineering and computing, humanities, music, natural sciences and social sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. Internationally, the university maintains the Rice Global Paris Center, a hub for innovative collaboration, research and inspired teaching located in the heart of Paris. With 4,776 undergraduates and 4,104 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 7 for best-run colleges by the Princeton Review.

About Rice Global India
Rice Global India is the university's incubator for developing research and innovation partnerships as well as advanced educational exchange with diverse industries and academic communities throughout India. Located in Bengaluru, Rice Global India builds upon partnerships begun in 2020 with IIT Kanpur and the founding of a joint Energy Materials Institute and further developed in 2023 with two strategic partnership agreements, one with IISc and one with IIT Kanpur. Rice Global India's mission is to accelerate and develop research, innovation and entrepreneurial programs with a dynamic range of Indian partners.

SOURCE Rice University