KOCHI:
‘Meet the scholar programme’, one of a series of ambitious and innovative initiatives organised by State Institute of Educational Technology(SIET) under General Education Department of the Government of Kerala for school
children took off to a colourful start at CUSAT the other day.
The programme, organised jointly by SIET and CUSAT Inter University Centre for Nanomaterials and Devices(IUCND) at the Polymer Science and Rubber Technology department auditorium of the university, was inaugurated by B. Abu Raj, Director of SIET.
“As part of the state government’s proclaimed objective of raising the standard of education, SIET has embarked upon a series of new ventures to bring up promising students to a level of international reckoning. ‘Meet the scholar programme’ organised in association with the Kerala State Higher Education Council(KSHEC), envisages meeting and sharing of ideas by erudite scholars from foreign universities visiting university departments and colleges in the state with selected students from the government and aided schools in the vicinity”, Abu Raj said in his inaugural speech.
Accordingly, 60 selected students from various government and aided schools in and around Kalamassery attended the programme and interacted with Prof. Suresh C Pillai from Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland and Dr. Victor Koledov, leading scientist, Kotelnikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics of Russian Academy of Sciences, both experts in nanotechnology and nanomaterials, currently in CUSAT under the ‘Scholar in residence programme’ of KSHEC.
The objective of the programme is to inculcate scientific temper among the school children and raise at least the meritorious and promising students to international standard and make them world renowned scientists through interactions witheminent scientists of global repute from prominent institutions worldover and knowing the latest developments in science and technology.
“Last year 70 students of 9th standard, selected from various schools through talent test, were sent to prominent national institutes like IIT – Mumbai, TIFR, etc. for getting acquainted with the facilities and opportunities available in such institutions through visiting labs and interactions with the scientists there. Another 50 students selected from 42 schools are being sent to different colleges to visit the laboratories and facilities under the ‘Sasthrajalakam’ programme. On 13th next, Nobel laureate Sir Richard Robert will participate in a programme being organised for students at MES College, Mambad. We are closely monitoring these students to observe the effects of these programmes”, Abu Raj said.
Prof. Honey John, Director, IUCND, CUSAT presided and Syndicate member and Director, Centre for Advanced Materials, Prof.M.K. Jayaraj, SIET State Programme Co- ordinator Dr. T. V. Vimal Kumar, KSHEC Research Officer Dr.Manulal P Ram and Dr.Manoj N spoke at the function.
