Over 300 Students & Teachers Interact With Scientists At IISER-Berhampur

Berhampur: More than 300 students and teachers of 22 schools and colleges from southern Odisha interacted with renowned scientists at a seminar in Berhampur of Odisha’s Ganjam district.

The two-day seminar, titled “Science in the Community: Advancing Science Popularisation in Odisha”, was organised under the science outreach programme of Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) at Berhampur on November 16-17.

The seminar sought to inspire the young minds to the wonders of scientific discovery, igniting curiosity and nurturing their desire to pursue careers in scientific fields.

“The seminar was a part of the institute’s ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between the scientific community and society with the primary aim of making scientific knowledge accessible, relatable and applicable to everyday life,” said Prof Ashok K Ganguli, Director, IISER-Berhampur at the inaugural function.

This initiative not only contributes to the growth of scientific research but also ensures a continuous stream of innovative ideas and solutions to address the challenges of the time, he added.

Prof Arvind, Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala and Prof Arun Grover, PEC, Chandigarh shared their insights with the audience. The seminar featured six sessions chaired by distinguished experts.

Other speakers included Prof V Ramgopal Rao, Vice-Chancellor of BITS, Pilani; Prof Rajesh Prasad, IIT, Delhi; Prof Uday Maitra, IISc, Bangalore; Prof Deepa Khushalani, TIFR, Mumbai; Prof PS Anil Kumar, IISc, Bangalore; Prof Satyabrata Patnaik, JNU, New Delhi; Prof Amlan Kumar Das, Mody University of Science and Technology, Sikar; Dr Jiban Jyoti Panda, INST, Mohali; Dr Soumik Siddhanta, IIT, Delhi and Snigdha Das, Vidya Bhawan Education Resource Centre, Udaipur.

Dr Nihar K Patra, organising secretary, expressed sincere gratitude at the conclusion of the event and presented certificates to the participants.