UPES and The University of Law Collaborate to Establish a Centre of Excellence
On April 9, 2025, the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The University of Law (ULaw), one of the UK’s oldest esteemed legal institutions. This partnership aims to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) at UPES, focusing on advancing educational frameworks and research initiatives.
Objectives of the Centre of Excellence
The newly formed CoE will prioritize collaboration in the realm of research, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and its ethical implications. Additionally, the CoE will oversee various initiatives, including:
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses
- Satellite centers for academic support
- A start-up incubator to foster innovation and entrepreneurship
Enhancing Academic Mobility
The collaboration will facilitate the exchange of faculty and students, providing a richer educational experience for both institutions. “Mobility will be at all levels, especially at the undergraduate level,” emphasized Prof. Peter Crisp, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of ULaw. The plan includes a semester abroad program enabling UPES students to study in England and vice versa.
Moreover, postgraduate student mobility will also be encouraged, ensuring robust academic exposure through a co-designed curriculum. The program will be co-delivered by expert faculty from both institutions, enhancing its scholarly value.
Immediate and Long-Term Benefits
According to Dr. Abhishek Sinha, Dean of UPES School of Law, the collaboration is poised to yield both immediate and enduring benefits. Short-term advantages include improved cooperation and a strengthened collaborative framework. “Research cannot happen overnight; it requires sustained effort,” he noted, indicating the long-term goals of faculty and student exchanges.
Prof. Crisp added that enhancing existing collaborations is crucial. “The short-term objective is to continue our existing work with UPES, which has developed over the last four years,” he remarked, expressing a desire to increase both faculty and student exchange opportunities.
Research Focus: AI and Ethics
With the global landscape of AI policy still unformed, the partnership aims to bridge this gap through impactful research. Prof. Crisp envisions that the collaborative research efforts will produce work with a significant global impact. Dr. Sinha pointed out the impressive growth in research output, highlighting an increase from 500 papers in 2020 to nearly 2,500 expected by 2024, maintaining high citation rates and quality standards.
Innovation Through Incubation
The CoE will also establish a start-up incubator to cultivate entrepreneurship among students and faculty. Building on UPES’s existing “Runway” initiative, which currently supports over 100 startups, this incubator will focus on sharing best practices in incubation without direct financial investment from ULaw. “Joint projects may emerge from this collaboration,” Dr. Sinha noted.
Shared Commitment to Excellence
Prof. Crisp expressed excitement about the partnership, stating, “We are thrilled to partner with UPES to extend ULaw’s 148-year legacy of legal excellence to India.” He emphasized their mutual goal of preparing career-ready legal professionals in an increasingly complex tech landscape.
Dr. Sinha reaffirmed UPES’s vision of becoming the “University of Tomorrow” through partnerships with distinguished global institutions. “The establishment of the CoE addresses the urgent need for professionals equipped to handle the ethical challenges posed by AI,” he added.
As UPES and ULaw unite their efforts, this strategic alliance is set to redefine legal education and research, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the challenges of the future.
