The International Relations Office recently welcomed a delegation from the Japan Science and Technology (JST) and Kyoto University to IIT Roorkee, including Dr. Takashi Konishi, Director, JST; Prof. Ganesh Pandian Namasivayam, Head, IN-CBI, Kyoto University; Mr. Toshimasa Matsumoto, Senior Staff, JST and Mr. Shin Tamaki, Senior Staff, Sakura Science Program Headquarters, JST. The delegation met with our esteemed Director, Prof. K K Pant, Prof. Vimal Chandra Srivastava, Dean of International Relations, and Prof. P. Gopinath from the Department of Biosciences & Bioengineering.
The Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering and the Centre for Nanotechnology organized a webinar introducing the Indian Young Researchers Program for studying in Japan. Prof. Vimal Chandra Srivastava had the opportunity to discuss our ongoing collaborations with Japanese institutions and potential future opportunities. Prof. Ganesh delivered an insightful lecture, and students had the chance to engage with Prof. Ganesh and the Japanese delegates through a lively Q&A session.
A meeting was also held in the committee room of the James Thomson Building. The discussion, chaired by Prof. Vimal Chandra Srivastava, Dean IR, focused on collaboration opportunities. Participants included Prof. Sandeep Singh, Department of Earth Science; Prof. Ashish Pandey, Department of Water Resources Development & Management; Prof. P. Gopinath, Prof. Mahua Mukherjee, Department of Architecture and Planning; Prof. P M Pathak, Department of ECE; Prof. Rajdeep Chatterjee, Department of Physics, Prof. B K Maheshwari, Department of Earth Quake Engineering and other colleagues.
Each faculty member from IIT Roorkee shared their thoughts on the ongoing collaborations with Japanese institutes and discussed potential avenues for future partnerships. Prof. Sandeep Singh highlighted the successful joint research initiatives in earth sciences, while Prof. Ashish Pandey emphasized the collaborative projects in water resource management. Prof. Mahua Mukherjee shared insights on urban planning and sustainability projects, and Prof. P M Pathak discussed advancements in electronics and communication engineering.
Prof. Takashi Konishi elaborated on the India Young Researchers Invitation Program and research fields such as AI, biotechnology, materials, quantum technologies, telecommunications semiconductors, and resilience planning. This visit opened new doors and created more opportunities for collaboration, fostering innovative research and impactful achievements.