By Paul A. Miller MA ’21
Half a world away from New York’s capital city of Albany exists another capital city, Bengaluru, in the state of Karnataka, known as the Silicon Valley of India. Today, in that thriving high-tech hub, the influence of the University at Albany is being felt as it helps shape an innovative university from the ground up.
In June 2026, President Havidán Rodríguez led a UAlbany delegation to southern India to celebrate the launch of the Ramaiah Institute of Science and Management (RISM), a next-generation science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and management university. RISM has chosen UAlbany as its academic knowledge partner as it launches an innovative learning ecosystem where classroom instruction is industry-aligned and students participate in hands-on projects, translational research and close collaborations with technology leaders.
“The University at Albany is so proud to have built a strong partnership with our colleagues here in Bengaluru,” Rodríguez said during the launch ceremony. “Our partnership is not symbolic — it is innovative, substantive, impactful and transformative.”
In this partnership, hailed as “one-of-a-kind,” UAlbany provides guidance and consultation on curriculum and faculty development as RISM develops its academic programs in computer science, engineering, aerospace engineering, business and nanotechnology. UAlbany is also working with RISM to bring its AI Plus Institute and AI and Society College – hubs for artificial intelligence research, education and collaboration – to Bengaluru. Together, faculty from both institutions will design curricula, create research opportunities and develop exchange programs to prepare students for careers in fields ranging from artificial intelligence and semiconductor engineering to business and entrepreneurship.
RISM students will learn through industry-embedded curricula, mentorships with industry leaders serving as professors and multi-year capstone projects rooted in experiential learning, as well as leadership, entrepreneurship and career readiness programs. The innovative collaboration between the two schools is bolstered by industry partners such as GE Vernova, GE Aerospace, IBM, GlobalFoundries and Applied Materials, which all have significant presences in Bengaluru and the Capital Region. In turn, UAlbany students and faculty will gain new pathways for international research, learning and innovation in one of the world’s fastest-growing technology economies.
What began as conversations in 2022 with Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences (RUAS), one of India’s leading private universities, evolved and expanded through reciprocal campus visits, joint planning sessions and drafting of strategic frameworks. Those talks made RISM a reality.
Classes began in August 2026 at a temporary campus and in September, President Rodriguez attended a ceremonial foundation laying, marking the start of construction of the new state-of-the-art campus strategically placed within the Information Technology Investment Region, home to a 150-acre financial district, a 3,000-acre manufacturing and export zone, and a 1,000-acre aerospace and defense technology park. Through this unique partnership, UAlbany is co-branded and marketed with RISM, with the potential to reach the more than 400 million people under the age of 18 across India, while providing a substantial boost to the university’s efforts to expand its global presence and impact.
For RISM leaders, the collaboration is about meeting the moment as India invests to establish itself as a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing and artificial intelligence. “Every generation is called upon to build the future,” said RISM Chancellor M R Jayaram. “RISM was created to make this transformation possible.”
The partnership also reflects President Rodríguez’s broader vision for UAlbany as a globally engaged public research university. “We are co-creating a new model for higher education that is designed to empower students to lead into the 21st century ... we’re here to build the future, and we’re doing that today.”
By Paul A. Miller MA ’21
Half a world away from New York’s capital city of Albany exists another capital city, Bengaluru, in the state of Karnataka, known as the Silicon Valley of India. Today, in that thriving high-tech hub, the influence of the University at Albany is being felt as it helps shape an innovative university from the ground up.
In June 2026, President Havidán Rodríguez led a UAlbany delegation to southern India to celebrate the launch of the Ramaiah Institute of Science and Management (RISM), a next-generation science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and management university. RISM has chosen UAlbany as its academic knowledge partner as it launches an innovative learning ecosystem where classroom instruction is industry-aligned and students participate in hands-on projects, translational research and close collaborations with technology leaders.
“The University at Albany is so proud to have built a strong partnership with our colleagues here in Bengaluru,” Rodríguez said during the launch ceremony. “Our partnership is not symbolic — it is innovative, substantive, impactful and transformative.”
In this partnership, hailed as “one-of-a-kind,” UAlbany provides guidance and consultation on curriculum and faculty development as RISM develops its academic programs in computer science, engineering, aerospace engineering, business and nanotechnology. UAlbany is also working with RISM to bring its AI Plus Institute and AI and Society College – hubs for artificial intelligence research, education and collaboration – to Bengaluru. Together, faculty from both institutions will design curricula, create research opportunities and develop exchange programs to prepare students for careers in fields ranging from artificial intelligence and semiconductor engineering to business and entrepreneurship.
RISM students will learn through industry-embedded curricula, mentorships with industry leaders serving as professors and multi-year capstone projects rooted in experiential learning, as well as leadership, entrepreneurship and career readiness programs. The innovative collaboration between the two schools is bolstered by industry partners such as GE Vernova, GE Aerospace, IBM, GlobalFoundries and Applied Materials, which all have significant presences in Bengaluru and the Capital Region. In turn, UAlbany students and faculty will gain new pathways for international research, learning and innovation in one of the world’s fastest-growing technology economies.
What began as conversations in 2022 with Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences (RUAS), one of India’s leading private universities, evolved and expanded through reciprocal campus visits, joint planning sessions and drafting of strategic frameworks. Those talks made RISM a reality.
Classes began in August 2026 at a temporary campus and in September, President Rodriguez attended a ceremonial foundation laying, marking the start of construction of the new state-of-the-art campus strategically placed within the Information Technology Investment Region, home to a 150-acre financial district, a 3,000-acre manufacturing and export zone, and a 1,000-acre aerospace and defense technology park. Through this unique partnership, UAlbany is co-branded and marketed with RISM, with the potential to reach the more than 400 million people under the age of 18 across India, while providing a substantial boost to the university’s efforts to expand its global presence and impact.
For RISM leaders, the collaboration is about meeting the moment as India invests to establish itself as a global leader in semiconductor manufacturing and artificial intelligence. “Every generation is called upon to build the future,” said RISM Chancellor M R Jayaram. “RISM was created to make this transformation possible.”
The partnership also reflects President Rodríguez’s broader vision for UAlbany as a globally engaged public research university. “We are co-creating a new model for higher education that is designed to empower students to lead into the 21st century ... we’re here to build the future, and we’re doing that today.”