Amrita School of Biotechnology enters into partnership with the University of Arizona to offer the first of its kind Dual Degree program in India in the Life Sciences 

by Suman Gupta

o      The partnership will provide enrolled students the opportunity to receive two degrees – M.Sc. Biotechnology, Microbiology or Bioinformatics from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and MS Cellular and Molecular Medicine from the University of Arizona.

o      Students will also be able to conduct research in the laboratories at the University of Arizona.

July, 2021: In a unique step, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University’s Amrita School of Biotechnology has entered into a dual degree partnership with the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Arizona.

According to Dr. Bipin Nair, Professor, Amrita School of Biotechnology and Dean, Faculty of Science, this  is a strategic merger of the strengths of the two well established units of the two universities, both in terms of academic fervour and research excellence, providing aspiring students the excellent opportunity to tap into the expertise of the renowned and internationally recognised Biomedical Sciences faculty at the University of Arizona, while at the same time being able to harness the rich experience of the Masters programs in Biotechnology, Microbiology and Bioinformatics at the Amrita School of Biotechnology. Besides being given the unique opportunity to receive two degrees – M.Sc. Biotechnology, Microbiology or Bioinformatics from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and MS Cellular and Molecular Medicine, the students enrolling for this spectacular Dual Degree program would benefit tremendously from this innovative approach of flexible one of its kind modular courses offered by the Cellular and Molecular Medicine Department at the University of Arizona as well as to conduct research within the University of Arizona laboratories.

Carol C. Gregorio, PhD, University of Arizona, Head of the Department, Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Assistant Vice Provost of Global Health Sciences, said about the program- “We are honored to have entered this dual degree partnership with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University—one of the top research institutions in India. This opportunity allows us to push the boundaries in our own university by tapping expertise of our renowned and internationally recognized faculty. This exciting opportunity is part of our larger mission to expand access to Arizona Health Sciences education within the U.S. and around the world.”.

Dr. Maneesha Ramesh, Dean, International Programs, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham added that Amrita was ranked the 4th Best Overall University in India in the 2020 NIRF rankings. In continuing with our quest for excellence, this dual degree arrangement with the University of Arizona is a strategically important step to ensure that our students receive the best possible training as a steppingstone to a bright future.