Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) has officially suspended all academic collaborations with universities in Turkey as a consequence of the ongoing geopolitical situation involving Ankara. The decision affects existing student and faculty exchange programs and research partnerships, which now stay on hold for an indefinite period.
“Due to the current geopolitical situation involving Turkey, the IIT Bombay is processing suspension of its agreements with Turkish universities until further notice,” IIT Bombay stated in a post on its official X. The current move is a part of a larger academic and diplomatic shift within Indian establishments that are responding to Turkey being perceived as siding with Pakistan during India's recent Operation Sindoor, a high-profile military operation.
The announcement comes days after similar actions by Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) severed ties with Turkish institutions. The developments reflect rising domestic calls to boycott countries seen as unsupportive of India's security interests.
Currently, no details were given by IIT-B about which Turkish universities were in question, although it was confirmed by officials that several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) related to joint research, student mobility, and faculty exchange have been halted. The academic communities are concerned with the fast linking of international education with geopolitics but also willingly show appreciation of the strategic autonomy exhibited by Indian institutions.
Centralized guidelines have yet to be issued by the Ministry of Education, thereby leaving such a decision to individual universities. Re-engagement in future will depend on changes in the geopolitical landscape.
[Source Credit: Financial Express]
