???aural:Bildanfang??????aural:Bildende???

Scientists from leading German universities are currently involved in many projects with Indian institutions. Their aims include technological development, the improvement of healthcare facilities and the enhancement of scientific progress. A significant example is the establishment of telemedicine outreach stations in rural India. Seventy percent of people in India live in rural areas, yet the vast majority of medical facilities and specialized doctors are located in the cities. Telemedicine takes advantage of the fact that the cellular phone network covers 80 percent of the country by using its technology to link people in far-flung locations.

Telemedicine for rural India

The German project partner, the University of Karlsruhe, is working together with the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, to develop affordable and easily-operated machinery that can transmit medical data from rural healthcare stations to medical doctors in the city. The name of this project is “Telemedicine station for rural health monitoring and the diagnosis of epidemic diseases.” It will enable rural healthcare workers to be guided in their treatment of patients by medical doctors or even specialists, and therefore provide their patients with higher quality primary, secondary and tertiary care.

Next generation Internet technologies

Another form of technological development, which profits from the Indo-German partnership, is Internet technology. The Internet is the most efficient medium of worldwide communication. It is therefore necessary to lay solid ground work in India – specifically, a reliable routing infrastructure and a stable safety network. Amrita University (Ettimadai) and the Technical University Berlin are the partners currently working on the project “Next Generation Secure Internet Technologies for Globally Distributed Enterprises.”

Bacteriological research

The Helmholtz Association (HGF) is Germany’s largest scientific organization with many different research centers. Similar to other German institutions, it prides itself on a longstanding relationship with India and joint research activities are currently ongoing in several of its divisions. One example is an STC-supported project entitled “Adaptation of bacteria capable of degrading chlorinated nitrophenols; biochemical and molecular studies.” The project was started in March 2008 by a team of scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the Indian Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh.

Treatment against infectious diseases

Professor Mlynek, the president of the Helmholtz Association, visited India in April 2007 to open the Indo-German Science Centre for Infectious Diseases (IG-SCID), which is testament to the Helmholtz Association’s commitment to working in partnership with India. The IG-SCID brings together the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) and the Hanover Medical School (MHH) and aims to foster cooperation through joint workshops and exchange programs to develop novel strategies for vaccines and antiinfectives.