ICSSR teams up with 12 European groups for research push

To give a push to India's research output, which is growing by 14 per cent as against the world average of 4 per cent, country's leading social science research agency – Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) – is collaborating with 12 European research agencies.

A pilot project is being launched to address issues being faced by India and European countries and influence evidence-based policy making.

It has come close on the heels of the culmination of the 3 year EU-India Social Sciences and Humanities Platform (EqUIP), an Euro1.5 million project funded by the European Commission, which aimed to foster and strengthen relationships between social sciences and humanities research funding agencies in Europe and India. "India is an increasingly important research performing nation, with world renowned social science and humanities researchers, writers and artists," said Jacqui Karn, senior International Policy Manager, UK's Economic & Social Science Research Council (ESRC).

"The historical and cultural links between India and Europe mean that there is a great appetite for working together more, which is what this event is all about," Karn said. ICSSR's Member Secretary Professor Virendra Kumar Malhotra, said, "ICSSR is committed to participating in the EqUIP programme in the future. We are now engaged in the process of designing the pilot call soon in India and Europe".