Heidelberg-Hyderabad Hub in Advanced Chemical Education (H³ACE) to boost Indo-German collaboration in computational chemistry and industry partnerships.
Hyderabad: Heidelberg University, Germany’s oldest university, is establishing a permanent presence in the city through the newly launched Heidelberg-Hyderabad Hub in Advanced Chemical Education (H³ACE). The initiative is in collaboration with the IIT-Hyderabad and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Hyderabad, and aims to propel collaborations in chemical research, education, and industry partnerships.
At a press conference on Monday, Prof G. Narahari Sastry of IIT Hyderabad confirmed the development, stating that IIT Hyderabad would provide space for the Heidelberg hub. "We are honoured by the request from Heidelberg University, and we will be happy to facilitate their office here," he said at the launch event.
H³ACE has been designed as a long-term academic and research initiative that will draw on Hyderabad’s strengths in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and materials science. The programme brings German and Indian researchers, students, and industry professionals together to initially focus on computational chemistry.
Prof. Andreas Dreuw, vice president for research and digitalisation at Heidelberg University, explained: "The hub idea arose about two years ago from existing partnerships between chemists in Heidelberg and Hyderabad. The goal is to combine complementary expertise and expand ideas in a growing academic environment."
Seventeen German master’s students have arrived in Hyderabad as part of the first exchange under this initiative. Three will remain for a month-long internship. The programme also includes a week-long Indo-German School on Computational Chemistry, where students and faculty from both countries are working on applications ranging from drug discovery to energy storage.
Prof. Katja Patzel-Mattern, vice president for transfer and innovation at Heidelberg University, stressed the importance of academic-industrial linkages. "We need to train young innovators together and build a culture of knowledge transfer. This is just the beginning."
Hyderabad’s position as a scientific and industrial hub played a role in choosing it as the base for H³ACE. Prof. Sastry pointed out that while Indian students often travel to Germany for research, this initiative is also bringing in German students to India.
"We want more German researchers and students to come here, experience our academic environment, and contribute to projects that matter globally,” he added.
"Hyderabad is the right place for this. The city’s pharma and biotech sectors are among the strongest in the country. Our students will gain exposure to cutting-edge research, and German students will have access to an industry ecosystem that actively engages with fundamental science,” said Prof. M Krishnamurthy, Centre Director at TIFR Hyderabad.
The partnership is also expected to accelerate research applications in industry. Computational chemistry, a field that allows researchers to model complex molecular interactions, is already changing pharmaceuticals and material science.
The Heidelberg-Hyderabad hub could also expand beyond chemistry into other scientific fields. Professor Dreuw hinted at long-term possibilities. "Chemistry is the bridge between disciplines like physics, biology, and engineering. This is just the starting point for a broader academic partnership in multiple subjects, including humanities." Currently, the project is funded by the two universities, however, they are expecting funding from the Union Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the German Research Foundation, Germany’s largest organisation for funding scientific research.
