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The Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), New Delhi, hosted H E Philippe Baptiste, Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space, France, on Monday, for an interaction focused on strengthening Indo-French collaboration in higher education, research and innovation.
According to a press release issued by the institute, the visit centred on the Indo-French Liver & Metabolic Disease Network (InFLiMeN), its progress, and its future vision. The programme included a presentation on Indo-French collaboration, discussions on student and faculty exchange and training opportunities, interaction with ILBS faculty, and a visit to the Institutes laboratories. S K Sarin, Director, ILBS, briefed the Minister on the journey of InFLiMeN and its progress as an Indo-French collaborative platform in the field of liver and metabolic diseases. He outlined the vision of taking the collaboration to its next phase through the establishment of a physical Indo-French centre, which would provide a platform for scientists, faculty and students from India and France to work together on important and emerging challenges in biomedical research. He also highlighted opportunities to expand the scope of the network by bringing together expertise in nanotechnology and materials science, with the aim of addressing fundamental questions in areas such as cancer and inflammation and creating new avenues for interdisciplinary and translational research. During the interaction, Minister Philippe Baptiste acknowledged the progress made through the Indo-French collaboration and expressed support for further strengthening the partnership. The discussions explored the potential of developing InFLiMeN from its existing virtual framework into a physical collaborative centre, providing a sustained institutional platform for joint research, scientific exchange and innovation between India and France. As per the release, academic mobility and training also formed an important part of the discussions. Opportunities for student and faculty exchange, joint training and research exposure between ILBS and institutions in France were also discussed. The interaction emphasised the importance of creating greater opportunities for young researchers and faculty to work across institutions and countries, enabling the sharing of scientific expertise, methodologies, technologies and research perspectives. The visit marked an important step in the continuing evolution of InFLiMeNfrom a successful virtual collaboration towards a stronger institutional partnership connecting people, ideas, research and innovation between India and France.The visit of Minister Philippe Baptiste to ILBS reaffirmed the importance of international academic and scientific partnerships in advancing research, fostering innovation and developing solutions to complex healthcare challenges. (ANI)
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