Indian Institute of Technology Madras is launching a new initiative to showcase its research to the broad scientific community and policymakers. It will highlight the major research initiatives being pursued in emerging areas of global interest. While the first webinar under the ‘IITM Research Initiatives Spotlight’ (IRIS) is scheduled to be conducted on July 1, 2021, on the topic of ‘Advanced Materials’, the first edition of the series will conclude in October 2021.
The webinars will showcase several research projects belonging to 21 identified technology clusters that have been initiated with support from the Government of India as an ‘Institute of Eminence’ (IoE) scheme.
Some of the research areas that will be showcased in the IRIS series include Quantum science and technology, AI and Data Science, Renewable energy and materials for energy, Autonomous systems, Advanced manufacturing and Medicine and biology, medical technology.
Speaking about this initiative, Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras, said, “Research is the centrepiece of new initiatives launched at IIT Madras as an ‘Institute of Eminence.’ More than 300 faculty members have formed multi-disciplinary teams and identified cutting-edge challenges to explore over the next few years.”
Highlighting the objectives behind launching the IRIS webinar series, Prof Raghunathan Rengaswamy, Dean (Global Engagement), said, “IIT Madras is reaching out to the international as well as the Indian scientific community and the public to engage with them and describe to them major research initiatives that have been launched by the Institute. Research outcomes from these projects have the potential to catapult IIT Madras to the next level of academic excellence, thereby becoming an institute on par with the best universities in the world.”
Prof T Pradeep, Padma Shri Awardee, and Institute Professor, Department of Chemistry, will speak during the inaugural lecture of the IRIS Initiative on July 1 about research initiatives on ‘Molecular Materials and Functions,’ being undertaken to create a globally recognised centre focusing on synthesis and study of molecular materials.
In addition, Dr Madivala G Basavaraj, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, will also speak about the research centre working on soft and biological matter, which will focus on structure and rheology. The IRIS series will provide an opportunity to engage in conversations with eminent faculty from IIT Madras and other international researchers, and identify opportunities for collaborations in those research areas.
