IIT Bombay, Google Cloud India set up ‘Chair Professorship’ in generative AI

MUMBAI: The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay on Wednesday announced the establishment of a “Chair Professorship” in generative AI (artificial intelligence) in collaboration with Google Cloud India. “The chair shall be named as ‘Google Cloud Chair’,” IIT B said in a statement.

‘Chair’ is a term given to endowed professorships and is one of the highest honours awarded in the academic arena. It is generally reserved for the top faculty members at IIT Bombay as an acknowledgement of their contributions to research and teaching. The endowed Chair Professorship will support and enhance research in academia and strengthen research collaborations, said the premier institute based in Mumbai's Powai area. Through this Chair Professorship, the appointee will be expected to initiate new and consolidate existing academic courses, participate in collaborative activities with Google Cloud and provide academic and technical leadership in the broad area of their respective field, it said.

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Thanking the Alphabet-owned company for setting up the endowment, IIT B Director Subhasis Chaudhuri said, “Such Chairs are an essential constituent to IIT Bombay’s endeavour of attracting the best and brightest students, researchers and professors and creating future leaders and innovators.” Anil Bhansali, VP-engineering and head of India development center, Google Cloud, said, “The aim is to provide academic and technical leadership in generative AI and initiate and provide expert guidance in R&D programs supported by government agencies and by the industry. Those will enable innovators of tomorrow to be equipped with the right skills and resources.”