New York, Oct 5 : Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao wants India-US strategic partnership to be driven by a vibrant science and technology eco-system to address the priority needs of both the nations. "I believe this co-development of the vibrant S&T eco-system as the new foundation of the expanding Indo-US cooperation, which will create synergies between science and diplomacy to produce common global goods," she said at the Pan IIT (Indian Institutes of Technology) 2011 Global Conference in New York Sunday. "The WHEELS (Water, Health, Energy, Education, Lifestyle and Security) project conceived by the Pan IIT leadership in this country to initiate application of technology to find solutions to common problems facing our two countries is a laudable enterprise," Rao said in her keynote address.. Noting that "India is poised to play a leading role in shaping the 21st century as an era of peace, prosperity, innovation, growth and development," the envoy said New Delhi looked "to the IITs and IITians to play a commensurate role in this endeavour as an innovator, business leader, entrepreneur, engineer or teacher." In another address at the Yale University on "Future Direction in India-US relations", Rao said as both India and the US work towards becoming a truly knowledge societies, deepening cooperation in the field of education has been identified by both governments as a key priority. India and US, she said, have agreed to work together and with other countries of the region for evolution of an open, balanced and inclusive security and economic architecture in the region. Noting that India and the US have been described as natural strategic partners, Rao said they would move forward to deepen their ties "to meet the important challenges of our times and to advance peace and prosperity in our increasingly interdependent and interconnected world."