Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) recently celebrated a major milestone in global academic excellence with the Twinning Degree Award Ceremony 2026 for the M.Sc. Biotechnology programme under the Franco-Indian Campus and ILIADE Consortium.
This dual-pathway programme combines Medicinal Plants and Phytotherapy with AI, Computers, and Biomedical Data, bridging biotechnology, digital innovation, and healthcare.
A total of 37 graduating students from the School of Bio Sciences and Technology (SBST) received their degrees, with 22 specialising in Medicinal Plants & Phytotherapy and 15 in AI & Biomedical Data.
Demonstrating the research potential of this partnership, 2 graduating students secured prestigious fellowships to pursue Ph.D. research programmes.
The international collaboration has driven high levels of academic exchange, recording 20 international student mobilities and strong sustained engagement from European faculty. A total of 15 French professors from the ILIADE Consortium visited VIT to conduct academic sessions.
Furthermore, all Vice-Presidents of the French ILIADE Consortium universities visited VIT for both the inauguration and graduation ceremonies, demonstrating a shared commitment to international mobility, interdisciplinary learning, and advanced research.
In his presidential address, G. Viswanathan, Founder & Chancellor of VIT, highlighted the transformative power of international education in fostering socio-economic progress and national unity.
Noting France’s historic legacy of proclaiming liberty, equality, and fraternity, he urged governments to allocate more funds toward accessible higher education for poor and middle-class families. Highlighting the Tamil diaspora in La Réunion—where about one-third of the 990,000 population is of Tamil descent—he expressed VIT’s readiness to assist the University of La Réunion and the French government in promoting and developing the Tamil language in the region.
Hugues Boiteau, Scientific and Academic Attaché at the Consulate General of France in Puducherry/Chennai (Institut Français India), underscored the enduring academic and scientific ties between France and India.
He emphasised that Indian students studying in France gain access to world-class education, a rich cultural heritage, including over 40,000 historic monuments, 41 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and 8,000 museums—and extensive career opportunities across European Union nations and the 1,000+ French companies operating in India.
The ceremony was graced by prominent leadership and dignitaries, including Chaker El Kalamouni, Vice President for International Relations, University of La Réunion & Chief Coordinator, ILIADE Consortium; Dani Osman, Vice President for Research, University of La Réunion; Christian Lefebvre d’Hellencourt; Christine Fernandez-Maloigne, University of Poitiers; Raphael Terreux, Vice President, International Relations, Claude Bernard University Lyon 1; Lea Payen Gay, Kajal Madaan, and Anne Mariotti.
Representing VIT were Sankar Viswanathan, Vice-President; Kanchana Bhaaskaran, Vice-Chancellor; Partha Sharathi Mallick, Pro-Vice Chancellor; Jayabarathi, Registrar; Ramamurthy, Former Secretary General, DST, Govt. of India; Vijayalakshmi, Former Director & Advisor, CBST-VIT; Suneetha, Dean, SBST; Jayaprakash, Director, CBST; Seenivasan, Director, International Relations, and Krishnan.
During the sidelines of the event, the French consortium also met VIT Vice President, Sekar Viswanathan and Executive Director, Sandhya Pentareddy.
