Hyderabad, July 30: Amgen announced the launch of the first Amgen Scholars Program in India at the International Institute of Information Technology Hyderaba, bringing the globally respected undergraduate summer research program to India for the first time.
Supported through a two-year commitment from Amgen through summer 2027, the program reflects the company’s long-standing commitment to advancing science education and inspiring future innovators. The inaugural cohort comprises 10 undergraduate scholars, including students from India, Vietnam, Qatar, and Dubai, creating opportunities for scientific collaboration and exchange across Asia. The students represent universities across Asia and are pursuing undergraduate programs in science, engineering, and related disciplines, reflecting the program’s regional diversity and academic excellence.
As part of the intensive two-month residential research experience, students will explore artificial intelligence and machine learning applications in fundamental sciences, drug design and discovery, healthcare, cheminformatics, genomics and related areas alongside faculty mentors at IIIT Hyderabad. They will also have an opportunity to participate in seminars, networking events and a regional Amgen Scholars Symposium to be held in Tokyo in August 2026. At the conclusion of the program, each scholar presents their research through a scientific poster presentation. The scholars were selected through a rigorous evaluation by an expert committee at IIIT Hyderabad based on academic excellence, research aptitude, motivation for doctoral studies, and demonstrated interest in applying AI and machine learning to drug discovery.
“Scientific breakthroughs begin with curious minds and meaningful opportunities to learn,” said Naveen Gullapalli, managing director, Amgen India. “We are proud to bring the Amgen Scholars Program to India. We hope to inspire talented students to pursue research careers while helping build the interdisciplinary skills needed to strengthen India’s scientific ecosystem.”
“We are delighted to serve as the host institution for the first Amgen Scholars Program in India,” said Deva Priyakumar, professor & dean , IIIT Hyderabad. “The program aligns well with our research-led approach to education and provides undergraduate students with an exceptional opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research in AI for healthcare and drug discovery while learning from leading faculty.”
“AI is transforming every stage of biotech research, from understanding disease biology to discovering new medicines,” said Sandeep Shukla, professor & director, IIIT Hyderabad. “This program gives students an opportunity to work on real scientific problems while developing the interdisciplinary research skills needed to address tomorrow’s complex healthcare challenges.”
Designed to inspire the scientists of tomorrow, the Amgen Scholars Program is a long-standing, signature initiative of the Amgen Foundation, providing undergraduates the opportunity to engage in a compelling summer, scientific research experience at some of the world’s leading institutions. This program builds on successful programming in the United States, with over 4,000 U.S. students having benefited from the program. Twenty-six leading institutions across the world currently host the summer research program. More than 6,000 students from over 1,000 colleges and universities have participated to date. Financial support for students is a critical component of the program, which seeks to ensure that eligible students, regardless of their financial status, can participate. The Amgen Scholars Program seeks to expand research, learning and networking opportunities for students committed to pursuing advanced degrees in STEM. Thousands of program alumni have gone on to complete graduate education and build careers across academia, biotechnology and healthcare in more than 40 countries. www.amgenscholars.com.