The Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) has partnered with the Mehta Family Foundation, which has a rich history in supporting initiatives enhancing the quality of life and access to education. The Foundation, based in Houston, Tx (USA), has supported over 100 institutions promoting education and healthcare.

The Foundation promotes and supports pioneering futuristic research areas fostering intellectual talent in India. With this objective in mind, the Foundation wholeheartedly supports the startup of the Department of Sustainable Energy Engineering. The department aims to excel in education and research in this vital sector for India. As the nation becomes economically prosperous, sustainable energy demands will continue to grow, and India will need this critical talent to be at the forefront of the sustainable energy revolution.

The Foundation intends to support SEE through various means. This includes MFF-CARE, Foundation lecture series, Foundation fellowships for faculty and students, facilitating exchanges and liaisons between IIT Kanpur and international partners, and supporting state-of-the-art physical infrastructure for world-class teaching and research.

The Mehta Family Foundation Collaborative for Academic and Research Excellent in India (MFF CARE) enriches the Indian education and research ecosystem by facilitating long term collaborative relationships between Indian and American organizations. The collaboration builds upon the excellent platform provided by the leading universities and institutes in India.

As a step in this direction, the Foundation played a pivotal role in forming the Rice-IITK Collaborative Center, a first-of-its-kind physical center involving an American and an Indian academic institution. On 9 January 2020, at an event held at IIT Kanpur, Rice University and IIT Kanpur signed a memorandum of understanding. The two institutions agreed to share resources and perform research to develop energy solutions, materials, and sustainable technologies. In addition, the center plans to expand into other areas. The Foundation will continue to facilitate and nurture such synergistic partnerships, which will enable the SEE department to succeed in its mission.

The Foundation envisages SEE becoming a coveted academic department for students in energy sustainability. The department will make meaningful contributions to society and the country via excellence in teaching, scientific research, and technology development.