NRSC Signs Five-Year Collaboration With Osmania University

Hyderabad: Isro’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) has entered into a five-year collaboration with Osmania University (OU) to support academic programmes, research, and technical training in space technology. The MoU was signed on Wednesday at the university in the presence of Vice Chancellor Prof. Kumar Molugaram and senior NRSC and ISRO scientists.

“This is a critical time for building national capabilities in space technology,” said NRSC Director Dr Prakash Chauhan. “Space systems today are vital for both civilian and defence applications, and we need to train the right human resources to support them. This collaboration will contribute to that effort by preparing students for real-world satellite applications and remote sensing systems.”

As part of the agreement, undergraduate and postgraduate courses will be introduced in engineering and technology, along with joint certification programmes. Students will also participate in NRSC’s outreach activities, including the development of space science learning material and live academic sessions with Indian scientists based in Antarctica.

Selected OU students will be allowed to conduct research directly at NRSC. Faculty will also collaborate with scientists on joint research projects. The partnership includes annual review meetings to track progress and adjust academic goals.

OU Vice Chancellor Prof. Kumar Molugaram said similar MoUs could be explored in other disciplines. “We are looking at the possibility of extending such collaborations to departments beyond engineering, like social sciences and commerce, because skill-building in those areas is also timely and relevant,” he said. He added that the university would work to ensure the partnership benefits both institutions.

Prof. P. Naveen Kumar, nodal officer for the MoU, said the university had earlier signed a similar agreement with Isro’s Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad, which led to the creation of a GNSS research lab supporting India’s indigenous satellite navigation system, NaVIC. “The new MoU with NRSC is a result of sustained discussions, and will expand the university’s ongoing research in navigation systems and other space-linked projects,” he said.