Jadavpur University (JU) and Hewlett-Packard (HP) have announced a collaboration, to provide educational platforms to support mutual exchange of knowledge in the field of mobile computing. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to this effect was signed between Rajat Bandyopadhyay, Registrar, Jadavpur University and Biswanth Bhattacharya, director - public sector, HP, India.

According to this joint initiative, HP will share industry knowledge on relevant IT innovations and foster talent in the form of grants and fellowships. Some of the identified key areas of focus where both plan to work together, are WiFi Systems, Mobility Solutions, Distance Education, Cellular Networks and Satellite Communications. In addition, the students and faculty of the university will be encouraged to do research at the HP Labs facility located in Bangalore.

A university under the State government of West Bengal, JU, has been declared a university with potential for excellence, by the University Grants Commission. Their Center for Mobile Computing and Communication is the largest among these COEs.

Ajay Gupta, director, HP Labs India, said, "A significant hallmark of this relationship is the innovation brought to bear by HP Labs. HP Labs is working on developing cutting edge technologies in the areas of mobile computing and data networks, and their applications in areas such as distance education."

"Jadavpur University, with its long tradition of working with industry, is an ideal partner to collaborate with. This relationship builds on the successful implementation of a digital library by HP, jointly with Jadavpur University. This library was set up by deploying dSpace Open Source Digital Library. HP is keen to take the digital library solution to other premier educational institutions across
India", said Gupta.

Under this initiative, HP will install leading server technologies and provide IT infrastructure support for the computing lab at the University. Prof Pradip K Das, professor for computer science and engineering, JU, and the co-coordinator for the center of mobile computing and communication, says, "This is certainly not the first time JU has tied up with a corporate. We have worked closely with IBM before this. But this initiative is certainly special as we are concentrating on a lot of fruitful programs for our students and faculty, especially this state-of-art laboratory that we are talking about and aiming at, is I think the first of it's kind in India. Mobile computing is a cutting edge technology. We have scholars in this field in the Masters and Doctorate level, in our university who along with the faculty will go to HP labs to conduct research, and also learn more from the technology solutions provider themselves. As of now the time-frame is set for four months during which they will stay in the company. They will then return and share their experience and knowledge with others in the campus."

About students benefiting from this, Das said, "The MOU is with the HP facility at Bangalore, where students can contribute and learn. HP has also shown interest in absorbing the capable students into their organization after their campus tenure is over. And with students showing overwhelming response we are totally charged up to go ahead and do our best.