New Delhi, April 14 (IANS): The Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-D) has joined hands with Australia's Queensland University of Technology (QUT) for a collaborative PhD programme.

The joint PhD programme, an effort by the Delhi government created automomous institution to promote cooperative educational exchanges, will be offered in areas like Cryptography and Control Theory and Robotics.

"Under the programme, the two institutions will jointly develop a system of academic exchanges that will allow a doctoral student to perform coordinated research studies at both institutions," said Director of IIIT-Delhi Professor Pankaj Jalote.

A PhD student in the programme will spend the first year at the IIIT-Delhi and then continue his/her work at the QUT for one and a half years. The student then returns to the IIIT-Delhi to complete the PhD. There may be additional visits involved.

"The PhD student will be jointly guided by supervisors from both institutions with the aim of obtaining PhD by satisfying the requirements and quality standards for the degree of each institution. Successful candidates will be eligible for a joint PhD award that names both institutions," Jalote said.

The joint PhD student will be supported financially by a scholarship, stipend or grant from the institutions, or from a third party. The stipend will be commensurate with the standards followed in each institution. Travel costs incurred by the student will also be covered.

This year, the joint programme will commence in August under which two seats will be available, with areas of interest being identified as Cryptography, Control Theory and Robotics, and Linked Data Analysis.