Parul University’s Global Partner Network: The Six Partner Universities Behind the 2026 International Exchange Cohort, from Instituto Superior Técnico to ITMO University

The strongest single partnership in the 2026 cohort was with INTI International University in Malaysia, which sent two students.

INTI International University, an established Malaysian private university, was the only partner institution to send more than one student to the 2026 cohort, making it the flagship relationship of the exchange year. Both students were hosted at the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. Mr. Qaid Danish Bin Zamzuri studied Computer Science Engineering with Artificial Intelligence and Data Science under the coordination of Ms. Krishnaben Raulji, while Ms. Priyankka Prabhathan studied Computer Science Engineering under the guidance of Dr. Ashish Patel.

Priyankka Prabhathan’s account provides direct evidence of the faculty support that defined the INTI partnership. She described her Computer Science Head of Department, Dr. Ashish Patel, helping her with subject selection and academic coordination even before she arrived in India, and remaining accessible throughout her exchange term whenever she needed support. The responsiveness she described is the type of faculty engagement that transforms an institutional partnership from a formal agreement into a successful student experience.

From the day that I landed here, even before I landed here, he has helped me so much about my subjects. No matter what time I called him, he always would pick up his phone.

Ms. Priyankka Prabhathan, INTI International University, Malaysia, on her Computer Science Head of Department

The two-student INTI partnership demonstrates the kind of repeat relationship on which long-term internationalisation depends. A partner university that sends multiple students in a single cohort, whose students report strong academic and personal support, is a partnership positioned to grow into a sustained exchange pipeline rather than remain a one-time collaboration.

A claim of 120 partner universities is a number. Six named institutions sending real students who produced measurable academic, research, and cultural outcomes is evidence. The experiences of the 2026 cohort, and the way students described feeling welcomed, supported, and integrated into campus life, demonstrate how international partnerships translate into meaningful educational experiences. These outcomes continue to strengthen Parul University’s relationships with institutions across Europe, Asia, the Americas, New Zealand, Australia, Russia, and the United Kingdom.

Instituto Superior Técnico is among Europe’s foremost technical institutions and is widely regarded as Portugal’s premier engineering school. Its participation in the 2026 cohort, through the exchange of Chemical Engineering student Mr. Tiago Joel Ferreira Marques, represents one of the most academically significant partnerships within the network.

A student from an institution of this standing choosing to conduct research at Parul University, and producing two research papers during a four-month exchange term, is a strong indicator of the research opportunities available at the host institution. His environmental catalysis research, focused on the development of a cow-dung-derived single-atom catalyst for cadmium adsorption, was coordinated by Mr. Alok Tiwari within the Department of Chemical Engineering.

The collaboration demonstrates that Parul University’s international partnerships extend beyond classroom exchanges into research-oriented engagement with leading global technical institutions. Through access to laboratory infrastructure, faculty mentorship, and applied research projects, the exchange enabled a visiting student to contribute to an active environmental engineering challenge while simultaneously building publication-oriented academic output.

The partnership with Instituto Superior Técnico reflects the broader objective of CIRR: creating international collaborations that generate meaningful academic outcomes, strengthen institutional relationships, and provide students with opportunities to participate in research that addresses real-world challenges.

ITMO University in Russia holds a strong international reputation in technology, computer science, and the applied sciences. Its contribution to the 2026 cohort through Mr. Iaroslav Baranov demonstrated the breadth that an international partnership can accommodate. Rather than being placed within a technology-focused discipline that mirrored his home institution, he was hosted across both the Parul Institute of Public Health and the Parul Institute of Ayurveda through a unique dual placement in public health and Ayurveda.

The experience highlighted one of the distinguishing features of Parul University’s international exchange model: students are not restricted to direct discipline matching. Instead, they are encouraged to engage with new academic fields, cultural knowledge systems, and interdisciplinary learning opportunities that may not be available within their home institutions.

For Iaroslav, this meant gaining exposure to both modern public health frameworks and India’s traditional medical knowledge system. The placement offered insight into how different healthcare approaches address wellness, prevention, and community health, while also providing a deeper understanding of a medical tradition that has evolved over thousands of years.

The ITMO partnership demonstrates that Parul University’s international collaborations extend beyond conventional academic exchange. They create opportunities for students to broaden their intellectual horizons, engage with unfamiliar disciplines, and experience forms of knowledge that are unique to India’s educational and cultural landscape.

Read about: Social-impact internships to cow-dung research by exchange students.

Three further partner universities completed the 2026 cohort, each bringing a distinct disciplinary engagement and demonstrating the diversity of Parul University’s international academic partnerships.

• Artevelde University, Belgium: Sent Business Development student Mr. Isaac Castro, who undertook a social-impact internship through CIRR and the Social Responsive Cell. His work involved engagement with the Saksham Tattvam Foundation and the Apni Pathshala street-school initiative under the guidance of coordinators including Ms. Anuja Tidke, Mr. Aditya Singh, Ms. Aalisha Umer, Mr. Monty Dsouza, Dr. Preeti Nair, Dr. Rahulkumar Pande, and Mr. Vinod Parmar.
• Universitas Multimedia Nusantara, Indonesia: Sent BBA student Mr. Pierre L Eau Nardo, also known as Wang Binyang, who was hosted at the Faculty of Management Studies under the mentorship of Dr. Shveta Shah. Beyond his academic engagement, he shared perspectives on startups, meditation, and martial arts, creating a genuine two-way learning experience for both the student and the host faculty.
• Asian Technology University, Uzbekistan: Sent B.A. English student Ms. Gulli Jovliyeva Ravshan Qizi, who was hosted at the Faculty of Liberal Arts under the guidance of Ms. Gargi Sharma. Her experience highlighted themes of cultural integration, personal growth, and belonging, while her reflections on feeling safe and welcomed during her stay became one of the most cited student testimonies from the 2026 cohort.

Together, these partnerships demonstrate that the CIRR exchange programme extends across engineering, management, social-impact work, public health, Ayurveda, and the humanities. The diversity of disciplines represented in a single cohort reflects the programme’s ability to accommodate students with different academic interests while providing each of them with meaningful opportunities for learning, engagement, and cultural exchange.

Also Read: Semester Exchange and Internship Program by CIRR in 2026.

The difference between a credible international university and one that merely claims to be is the difference between a number and a list of names.

Many institutions claim large numbers of international partnerships. Far fewer can identify the specific universities, the specific students, the specific disciplines, and the specific faculty coordinators behind those partnerships in a given year. The 2026 cohort provides exactly this level of specificity. The named partner universities span:

• Geographic breadth: Six countries across Asia and Europe, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Portugal, Belgium, Russia, and Uzbekistan.
• Disciplinary breadth: Engineering and Computer Science, Chemical Engineering research, Business Administration, Liberal Arts, Public Health, and Ayurveda.
• Institutional standing: Including Instituto Superior Técnico and ITMO University, institutions recognised internationally for their strength in engineering, technology, and applied sciences.
• Relationship depth: Repeat partnerships such as INTI International University, which sent two students in the same cohort, demonstrating relationships positioned for long-term continuity.

These six named partnerships sit within Parul University’s broader network of more than 120 partner universities and connect to the wider internationalisation infrastructure operated by the Center for International Relations and Research (CIRR) since 2013. This ecosystem includes semester exchange programmes, faculty exchanges, pathway programmes, dual-degree initiatives, summer schools, and global internship opportunities.

The value of the 2026 cohort lies not merely in the number of partnerships but in the evidence behind them. Named students conducted environmental research, participated in social-impact projects, explored traditional and modern healthcare systems, engaged with faculty mentors, and shared their experiences publicly at the conclusion of their terms. This level of documented engagement advances the goals of NEP 2020 internationalisation and the Study in India initiative through verifiable outcomes rather than aggregate statistics alone.

Each partnership translated into a structured placement through a consistent process.

The partnerships represented by the six countries followed a common framework. An institutional agreement is established between the home university and Parul University, followed by the nomination of students through the partner institution. Before arrival, course mapping and academic planning are coordinated jointly by CIRR and the host department to ensure alignment between the student’s academic objectives and the opportunities available at the host institution.

Once students arrive on campus, they are placed within the designated host department and assigned faculty coordinators who guide them throughout the term. Continuous academic, administrative, and cultural support is provided through the combined efforts of the host faculty, CIRR team members, and, where applicable, student buddies who assist with day-to-day integration into campus life.

The consistency of this process across six countries and multiple disciplines, including Engineering, Computer Science, Chemical Engineering, Management, Liberal Arts, Public Health, and Ayurveda, is evidence of a mature internationalisation framework rather than a collection of ad-hoc exchange arrangements. The structured approach enables partner institutions and nominated students to engage with the CIRR team confidently, with a clear understanding of how new partnerships, academic placements, and exchange opportunities are planned, coordinated, and delivered.