Two alumni come on board to support IIT-K’s medical research school
Alumni Dr Dev Joneja and Hemant Jalan donated USD2.5 million and ₹18 crore respectively to support the establishment of School of Medical Research and Technology (SMRT) at IIT-K
The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, announced the signing of MoUs with two of its distinguished alumni Dr Dev Joneja and Hemant Jalan to support the establishment of the School of Medical Research and Technology (SMRT) at IIT Kanpur.
Dr Dev Joneja and his wife Terri Musson donated an amount of USD 2.5 million in the form of ‘Terri Musson and Dev Joneja Gift’ while Hemant Jalan donated ₹18 crore to support the infrastructure development for the school. Both the distinguished alumni will now be joining the advisory board of the SMRT as founder donors.
IIT Kanpur director Prof Abhay Karandikar said, “We take great pride in our alumni and their work. They are our pillars of strength and glory. I would like to extend my gratitude to Dr Dev Joneja, Hemant Jalan and their families for their generous and selfless contribution to the SMRT and be a part of this noble journey towards revolutionising medical education in India.”
School of Medical Research and Technology (SMRT) is a one-of-a-kind initiative by IIT Kanpur that aims to revolutionise medical education in India by bridging the gap between medical and technology disciplines. The first phase of the project would include setting up various Centres of Excellence (CoE) oriented towards cutting-edge medical research and innovation along with a 500-bed super-speciality hospital.
The CoE’s are expected to work in confluence with the core clinical departments of the hospital and biomedical expertise of various engineering departments of IIT Kanpur. The school will offer Post Graduate Medical Degrees in various domains of Medical Science and Technology.
The outcome of the SMRT at IIT Kanpur is expected to contribute to the overall betterment of healthcare infrastructure in the state of Uttar Pradesh and lead to a large number of MedTech inventions and innovations.
“The SMRT initiative is a great combination of the established core strength of IIT in technology with a new direction in medical research, education and innovation. My wife Terri and I are confident that the Institute and its leadership will deliver on the ambitious project and are very gratified to be able to provide our support to this effort,” Dr Dev Joneja said.
Hemant Jalan added, “Most IITK alumni attribute their success in life to the years that they spent at IIT, Kanpur, and it very much applies to me. I have always wanted to give back to the Institute in a meaningful way, and the concept of SMRT appealed immensely to me. I hope that the SMRT initiative will uplift the stature of IITK within the scientific community, and I’m very happy to be associated with this project as a founder.”
“I hope many more alumni come forward to donate generously to this project, which is a path-breaking venture by IIT, Kanpur. I am confident that the SMRT will breed cutting-edge inter-disciplinary research between the field of medical sciences and the various schools of engineering, which is severely lacking in India today,” Jalan said.
Dr Dev Joneja earned his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1984 from IIT Kanpur. He is currently the chief risk officer at Exodus Point Capital Management.
Hemant Jalan received his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from IIT, Kanpur, in 1977. He founded Indigo Paints in 2000, which has grown multi-fold over the years, culminating in a successful IPO of the company in early 2021.