GITAM (Deemed to be University) has achieved a milestone in academic funding by securing an INR 13.69 Crore grant from the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology to establish a centre for drug discovery and marine biology research. The grant, conferred through the Promotion of University Research and Scientific Excellence (PURSE) program, will support the procurement of new equipment, research costs, manpower, conduct of workshops/summer schools etc. The university’s ambitious five-year plan involves the establishment of a cutting-edge center for drug discovery research, with a focus on addressing pressing global health challenges.

“Studies have suggested the presence of bioactive compounds in marine organisms, such as astaxanthin found in zooplankton and fucoxanthin in brown algae and certain zooplankton, which may possess anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. However, further research is needed to validate these findings for human health,” added Dr Hari Sharan Misra, Distinguished Professor from GITAM (Deemed to be University).

GITAM’s marine biologists are at the forefront of exploring coastal marine ecosystems, hunting for bioactive compounds in aquatic zooplankton and bacteria. Once discovered, these valuable findings are handed over to biochemists and molecular biologists for isolation and characterization. These compounds could potentially combat cancer, reduce inflammation, and fight antibiotic-resistant diseases. Simultaneously, GITAM’s chemists are busy developing various derivatives of these molecules with unique properties, while physicists are venturing into nanotechnology to create biocompatible nanoparticles that could transform drug delivery. As the project progresses, pharmacists will formulate these innovative drugs for animal testing, aiming to evaluate their effectiveness and safety.

Commenting on this significant achievement, Prof. Ravi Kumar Gurazada, a Distinguished Professor at GITAM (Deemed to be University), said, “This ambitious research project, valued at Rs 13.69 Crores, underscores the government’s commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and tackling critical healthcare issues. This grant brings national recognition to GITAM and provides an opportunity to engage in pioneering research in the field of drug discovery. DST’s recognition of our merit and trust in our institutional strengths and scientific capabilities is a moment of pride.”

GITAM’s pioneering research, backed by DST’s substantial funding, promises groundbreaking contributions to drug discovery, healthcare, and global sustainability.

The post DST Grants INR 13.69 Cr to GITAM for Drug Discovery Centre appeared first on Higher Education Plus.

Centre for Advanced Technology Solutions (CATS), the IT team of GITAM (Deemed to be University) has recently bagged the Inavate APAC Award 2023 under  the Education category. Their project, with integration partner Sigma AVIT, which is based on hybrid learning and teaching, beat eight top universities across the world, including Singapore Management University, NYU Shanghai, Monash University, Jakarta, Western Sydney University, Australia and City University of Hong Kong to receive the coveted award at a gala event held at Altitude, Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok.

Gopala Krishna Gokeda, Chief Technology Officer at the varsity and his team had begun exploring and designing a hybrid system, and successfully digitized and unified 185 classrooms across the four campuses of GITAM (Deemed to be university) into a single classroom in less than two months. Subsequently, they designed a remote management and monitoring system for the 185 classrooms.

“A common problem in institutions,” says Gokeda, “is that systems, at times, are not independent in being able to take care of themselves.” Since they couldn’t find a solution for this problem, their management suggested they construct their own. Through this remote management and monitoring system, the university is able to monitor the performance and functionality of each and every device and synchronize it. Benefits include the university getting precise metrics of how the classroom is being utilized.

Gokeda comments, “We envisioned digital pedagogy, remote teaching & learning and digitally connected classrooms will be a norm going forward. We wanted a design that makes our classrooms digitally enabled that are easy to operate even by old school faculty, economical to maintain, functionally scalable, and compatible with future tech, while aiming for all of this to be done with minimum material to build, install, inventory and maintain. The objective is to keep all the classrooms ready to use by the faculty, providing tech support on demand, in real time such that we can have understanding of a problem before our users know.”

GITAM (Deemed to be University) President, Sribharat Mathukumilli says, “The hybrid culture is not a temporary phenomenon that has dissipated after COVID-19. It’s here to stay, especially because of how it combines the best of both traditional classroom instruction and online learning, creating a dynamic and flexible educational experience.”

The rise of hybrid learning has signified a transformative paradigm shift in education, empowering learners and educators to navigate the ever-evolving educational landscape and embrace the possibilities of a digitally connected global society.

With the advent of advanced technology and the widespread availability of internet connectivity, educators have seized the opportunity to transcend the boundaries of physical classrooms.

The post GITAM Bags International Technology Award at Inavate APAC 2023 For Integrated Digital Classrooms appeared first on Higher Education Plus.

“India is no more a developing nation. The kind of investments we do in research and technology are far more than other countries. You can’t ever imagine that India can do the National Quantum Mission (recently launched by the Department of Science and Technology) for Rs 6,000 crores. It is unheard of and commendable,” said Dr S Chandrasekhar, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology.

He was speaking at the Graduation Ceremony 2023 of GITAM (Deemed to be University) Visakhapatnam, on Saturday. The convocation ceremony conferred degrees upon almost 2500 of the total 2955 graduating students  across a range of UG and PG programs in engineering, pharmacy, architecture, science, management, law and humanities. The cohort included 40 Gold Medal recipients, 35 first rankers and 82 PhD holders.

GITAM’s Visakhapatnam Campus is its oldest campus, and is home to the varsity’s prestigious faculties, excellent infrastructural facilities, and motivated students pursuing interests like Technology, Management, Architecture, and Medicine.

Addressing the graduating batch, Dr S Chandrasekhar, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology and Chair G20-RIIG said, “I hope today’s graduates create jobs instead of seeking them.”

One of India’s highly accomplished scientists and top academic functionaries, Dr Chandrasekhar added that India is third in the list of generating PhDs in the world, and when it comes to the number of parents, it is 9th in the world currently.

Giving a clarion call for sustainability, he added, “We as homo sapiens are supreme commanders of this planet. I request to save the planet rather than abusing it. I hope you are the technology leaders for green processes that will not disturb our planet.”

Addressing the students, Shri M. Sri Bharat, President, GITAM (Deemed to be University) said encouraging graduates to find their purpose and then make sky their limit. “Dream as big as you can, and as you dream big don’t take shortcuts. Shortcuts lead to poor foundation, and when the foundation is poor the building is going to collapse. Moreover, dreaming big should go hand in hand with your values and identities.”

During the event, eminent academician Prof Dayananda Siddavattam, Vice Chancellor, GITAM (Deemed to be University) presented the Annual Report highlighting year-long achievements. Dr Virandar Singh Chauhan, Chancellor, GITAM (Deemed to be University) presided over the convocation.

Yester-year Telugu superstar Vanisri also received an honorary D.Litt. degree for her distinguished contribution to Telugu cinema, arts and society. She requested everyone to plant a tree every month for the rest of their lives and help people with bare necessities to continue their education, especially poor people.

During the convocation, Padma Shri Dr. Kota Harinarayana was also presented  Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.). The aviation engineering legend spoke about destruction of the environment through technological and industrial developments, and nudged the graduating to experiment without fear of failure.

In 2023, a total of 4470 students graduated from across all three campuses of GITAM (Deemed to be University).

The post India ahead of the world in tech, research investments: DST Secretary at GITAM Visakhapatnam’s 14th Convocation appeared first on Higher Education Plus.

StartupIndia SmartIDEAthon encourages student innovators help build sustainable and resilient communities through social innovation

StartupIndia SmartIDEAthon — an annual pan-India mega pitch-fest by GITAM (Deemed to be University) for undergraduate and postgraduate student innovators to showcase  their entrepreneurial ideas — is accepting applications for innovative ideas by Indian students across four themes: Food & Health, Toys for STEM, Sustainable Fashion and Frugal Innovation till June 10, 2023. The pitch fest will culminate in a reality show-style grand finale on August 24-25 at GITAM’s Hyderabad campus.

The student pitching competition is inviting individuals and ideation-level startups to pitch ideas for sustainable and resilient community building. It is organized by Venture Development Centre, GITAM (Deemed to be University) in collaboration with StartupIndia, Northeastern University Center for Emerging Markets, Boston and Northeastern University Center for Entrepreneurship Education (NUCEE), Boston.

Winning student entrepreneurs stand a chance to win personalised coaching and bootcamps by internationally-trained venture coaches, a sponsored trip to the USA to showcase at Boston Entrepreneurship Week, and cash and grants worth INR 30 Lakh for winners and runners-up.

“StartupIndia SmartIDEAThon 2023 is a brilliant platform for students and aspiring student entrepreneurs from all across the country to present their ideas to the world and win some exciting prizes and the opportunity to network with renowned experts. This is an invaluable opportunity to meet like-minded people and be a part of the vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem!” said  Prof. Balkumar Marthi, Dean – Innovation, GITAM (Deemed to be University).

“StartupIndia SmartIDEAthon 2023 is a great opportunity for students across INDIA to not only showcase their venture ideas on an international stage but to compete to visit the vibrant start-up hub of Boston and experience the ecosystem firsthand,” iterated Krish Nangegadda, Chief Innovation Officer, GITAM (Deemed to be University).

In Round 1, a panel of top venture leaders will review the submitted minute-long video pitches and presentations for relevance and innovation. Up to 100 shortlisted applicants will make it to Round 2 and be invited for online Bootcamp sessions and coaching by ace entrepreneurship practitioners. After the panel re-assesses submitted ideas for innovation, scalability and impact, 32 shortlisted teams from Round 2 get to walk into the semi-finals.

The semi-finals and the grand finale will be organised in person at GITAM’s Hyderabad campus, where the teams will network with industry experts, entrepreneurs and other prominent guests. The competition hots up and finally only eight teams will pitch to an eminent jury and live audience on stage in an auditorium setting.

The 2022 edition of SmartIDEAthon challenge proved to be cradle of innovation & entrepreneurial spirit as 1200+ students from across 28 states and 3 UTs pitched socially innovative startup ideas. Last year, students of Netaji Subhash University of Technology from Bihar’s Hajipur — Animesh Kumar and Hrithik Jaiswal emerged winners — made a winning pitch for their startup Feetwings, which develops Internet of Things (IoT)-based solutions for early detection and monitoring of diabetes to prevent foot ulcers.

Who can participate?

Student participants currently enrolled in any undergraduate or postgraduate programs and recent graduates can showcase their venture ideas in teams not exceeding two members.

Important Dates for SmartIDEAthon 2023:

Applications will be accepted till June 10, followed by round 1 results on June 22 and Round 2 Results on July 15. Semi-Finals will be held on August 24 and the Grand Finale on August 25, 2023.

The post GITAM Invites Entries From Student Entrepreneurs and Emerging Start-Ups For Its Mega Pitchfest StartupIndia SmartIDEAthon 2023, Prizes Worth INR 30L Up For Grabs appeared first on Higher Education Plus.

Speaking at length about global warming, Prof.Jarding suggested making businesses and industry as partners towards the solution

Hyderabad, September 20, 2022: Placing great emphasis on the youth as the beacons of change for burning 21st-century issues such as global warming, international political consultant and educator Prof. Steve Jarding recently addressed students at the GITAM (Deemed to be University) in Hyderabad. Jarding has served as faculty of Harvard University and is on the advisory board of the Kautilya School of Public Policy, established by the GITAM (Deemed to be University).

Speaking about India as one of the only four global superpowers who can influence humanity’s large-scale problems in 2022, Prof.Jarding said, “I argue that there are four players seated at a small table in 2022 that are going to determine the fate of humanity for the next 30 years. These would be China, United States of America, and European Union. The last seat at the table of a nation’s determining the fate of humanity will be taken by India. As someone who is teaching next-generation leadership in India, I feel good that India is at the table, but the responsibility is daunting.”

Through his 40-year career, Prof.Jarding has advised heads of state and business leaders on communications, political campaigns, and message strategy in over 40 countries around the world. He continues to work, lecture and provide communication training and campaign management training to hundreds of candidates, campaigns, and individuals in the US and around the world including to clients in Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, and India. He has been a visiting faculty at Kautilya School of Public Policy.

Addressing the students, he said, “The problems that we have in the world in 2022 have never been replicated. Problems that we have — that your generation is inheriting — need a different paradigm for governance and for participation. My message today to you is that the world is bigger than university degrees, it’s bigger than just you. Looking at the problems of the 21st century, we need all of humanity to rise to the occasion. We can’t have certain segments rise to the top and others do not play their role.”

Adding, he said, “Whatever your profession, you have to step up and demand better of your leaders of your government, indeed of yourselves.” Citing Mahatma Gandhi’s famous lines, ‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’, Prof.Jarding appealed to students to be willing to challenge and change themselves.

Through this hour-long address, the educator touched upon the threat posed by automation to human jobs. “Ten years from now, automation in the United States alone, would claim one out of two jobs. What are we going to do with all the workers? In India, 69% of the jobs are threatened by automation. It doesn’t mean we can’t deal with it. It means we have to deal with it. If you look at income inequality, social scientists will tell you the signs of societal collapse often begin with how we’re distributing well. In India today 10% of the people here have 60% of the wealth, in America. 0.1% of the people have 90% of the wealth. Societies don’t function well when we do that.”

Prof.Jardingmentioned the brazen bulldozing of Amazon rainforests — responsible for a quarter of the world’s oxygen — as well as the increasing number of global warming-induced refugees, touted to reach into billions in a 20 years. He also spoke about rising ocean levels submerging valuable land and infrastructure in countries on the coastlines, such as Indonesia and Bangladesh, as well as animal and insect species disappearing because of global warming.

Proposing a possible solution to engage all industry stakeholders into collective action, Prof Jarding said, “People criticize businesses saying they’re part of the problem. Business has to play a role because business has so much power to influence governmental leaders. I believe that business is part of the solution, just like law is. We must monetize global warming. Let’s make global warming something on which we can make some money.”

Touching upon the knowledge curve and its progression over millennia and centuries, he said, “Today, in 2022 knowledge doubles every 12 months. The wheels of science are rolling. Science now projects that in approximately three years, human knowledge will double every 12 hours. Do you not believe that the solution to global warming and human disease is in that human knowledge.”

“I say I have faith because when I come to places like Kautilya School of Public Policy, I look into the eyes of young, fearless, best-educated, international and socially-conscious generation in human history,” said Prof.Jarding, giving a clarion call of action to India’s youth.

“I look at the world and look at young people as gifts to humanity who have the capacity to better the world to change the world, to rise to the occasion. It is a daunting responsibility, but I would put my faith in you. This is the generation that can deal with it. The clock’s ticking. I apologize to say my generation did not see it coming. Like we should have. You will not have the luxury of missing it. It is incumbent on you to stand.  and say, I will take my rightful place. The next great leader in India, very likely is sitting in this room,” he said.

Concluding his address, Prof.Jarding stressed on starting to invest in people. “At the most fundamental levels, we got to make sure young people have healthcare and nourishment. We have to give them schools. We have to, as a society, understand that school is not an expense. Education is not an expense. It’s an investment and we’re not doing a very good job. We have to prioritize education and move more people into it.”

The post Education is an investment, not an expense: Harvard Prof. Steve Jarding at GITAM Hyderabad appeared first on Higher Education Plus.

Prof. Dayananda Siddavattam has been appointed the new Vice-Chancellor of GITAM (Deemed to be University). Dr. Siddavattam, a senior academician and researcher, has had a long and illustrious career as an academic administrator, having previously served as HoD of Animal Biology Department as well as the Dean of the School of Life Sciences at the University of Hyderabad. During his tenure at the University of Hyderabad, he received wide acclaim for his administrative and infrastructural reforms. The state-of-the-art laboratories and inter-institutional collaborations established under his stewardship have accelerated the interdisciplinary research activities at the University of Hyderabad.

He is, however, first and foremost, a researcher par excellence, with his areas of research being Molecular Biology, Environmental Microbiology, and Regulation of Gene Expression. He started his career as a researcher by working at the Institute for Genetics in the University of Bayreuth. After returning to India, he established a molecular biology lab at SK University, Anantapur, by obtaining competitive research grants from various national and international funding agencies such as the DST, DBT, The Wellcome Trust, UK, and British Council, UK. Besides establishing a functional lab, he brought international visibility to the unit by collaborating with reputed international institutions like the John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK. His laboratory made fundamental contributions to the field of Environmental Microbiology and succeeded in identifying genetic and biochemical principles behind the survival of microbes in highly polluted and harsh habitats. By pursuing these extensive research projects, he discovered novel genes and unique degradation pathways. He critically questioned existing theories on the evolution of bacterial phosphotriesterase (PTEs) and demonstrated their role in iron acquisition and outer membrane transport. Furthermore, he has been a consultant to several leading pharma companies and has successfully executed several highly goal-oriented industry sponsored research projects.

He has received significant recognition for his contributions to research in these areas, in India as well as abroad. He is the recipient of the Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship, awarded by the British Council in the U.K. His other credits include winning the prestigious DAAD (1988–90) and BMFT visiting scientist fellowships (1992-93) from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Federal Republic of Germany, right at the beginning of his career. In 2008, the state of Andhra Pradesh honoured him with the title of Scientist of the Year.

He is a member of all three of India’s leading science academies: the National Academy of Sciences in Allahabad, the Indian Academy of Sciences in Bengaluru, and the Indian National Science Academy in New Delhi. Most recently, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, awarded him the prestigious JC Bose National Fellowship. 

The post Dr. Dayananda Siddavattam Joins GITAM as its New Vice-Chancellor appeared first on Higher Education Plus.

GITAM (Deemed to be University) Bengaluru campus today launched the GITAM School of Humanities and Social Science (GSHS) amid an august gathering that included the likes of Syed Kirmani, former Indian cricketer and Padma Shri awardee; Prof. R S Deshpande, renowned economist and former Director of Institute of Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore and Shukla Bose, founder Parikrama Humanity Foundation. Also present were M. Sri Bharat, President, GITAM (Deemed to be University), M S Mohan Kumar, Pro Vice-Chancellor, GITAM Bengaluru and Prof. V. Nagendra, Director GSHS.

The GSHS Bengaluru will be an addition to the three existing Schools of Technology, Business and Science. The Bengaluru campus was established in 2012 near the IT hub of the city. This is the third campus after Vizag and Hyderabad. GSHS offers Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and PhD programmes in Economics, English, Political Science and Psychology. It also offers Minors in Sociology, History, Dance and Music.

Speaking at the inauguration, Syed Kirmani addressed on the topic of ‘Youth and Sports – Importance of Character, Discipline and Dedication.’ Kirmani recollected his experiences as a professional sportsman and how character, discipline and dedication held him in good stead. Audience was all ears to hear some anecdotes from the successful 1983 World Cup outing. Joining Kirmani was Prof. R S Deshpande, who spoke on ‘Relevance of humanities in contemporary times and their importance in addressing societal complexities.’ Deshpande touched upon the core objective of studying humanities and social sciences in the present context. Shukla Bose added to the conversation and spoke about ‘Society, Deprivation and Empowerment through Education.’ She said, “I would first love to congratulate GITAM university, for taking this bold, innovate step of introducing a humanities section, in a large, traditional engineering college. All of you here, who aspire to be engineers, will be even better engineers if you’re in touch with humanities and the social sciences.”

Talking about the mission and vision, M. Sri Bharat, President, GITAM (Deemed to be University), said, “Philanthropy, Philosophy and Ethics are ingrained in the GITAM School of Humanities and Social Sciences (GSHS). The inclusive environment of GITAM instils togetherness among the stakeholders – students, teachers, and other service providers.”

M S Mohan Kumar, Pro Vice-Chancellor, GITAM Bengaluru added, “The multidisciplinary university system that combines human with artificial intelligence develops a learning environment. Combining knowledge systems provides a solid foundation to face future challenges and complexities. A proper mentoring system and Venture Development Centre help students till they graduate and beyond.”

Highlighting about the courses, Prof. V. Nagendra, Director GSHS said, “The programmes aim to equip students with the core knowledge, employability skills, and a multidisciplinary perspective relevant to job and research as well as creative work. The GSHS B.A. programmes are structured to encourage qualitative dialogue and debates for adequate comprehension, communication, and collaboration. Firmly based on the core values of liberal arts, the courses combine critical thinking and problem-solving approaches with strong disciplinary foundations.”

The cafeteria system allows the students to tailor the programme as per their requirements. The student can choose either a three-year Major program or a four-year Honours programme—the B.A. Honors programme provides a robust research foundation with advanced courses and dissertation writing. To broaden the career options, the GSHS ecosystem encourages the students to choose a Minor from other areas.  

The post GITAM Bengaluru Campus Launches School of Humanities and Social Science (GSHS) appeared first on Higher Education Plus.

Bharat currently serves as Board Member of TiE, Amaravati and Board member and Learning Chair of EO Andhra Pradesh. He is an active member in Hyderabad Angels and Andhra Angels. He is an investor in and advisor of a select group of promising startups.

His past experiences include commissioning of a 460MW Gas based power plant, quality control and operations in Lia Sophia Inc. Chicago, Investment banking at KARVY Financial services, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. His most recent stints during his MBA were in the Innovation Delivery team of the Atlanta Mayor’s office, USA and a marketing immersion in Sheraton Hsinchu, Taiwan.

The post GITAM group’s New President Takes Charge appeared first on Higher Education Plus.

The expo is in commemoration of the mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan birth anniversary. It is a platform for innovators and creators to apply conceptual knowledge to bring about sustainable progress in society, leading towards improvement and betterment of mankind. The schools are requested to send a maximum of three best models to display and present in the science expo. Interested schools can also bring their students to visit the exhibits freely.

The entry fee for the model display is Rs.100/- per candidate and the selected abstracts would be published in a Souvenir. The cash prize of ₹10,000/-, ₹5, 000/- and ₹3, 000/- would be awarded to the best three models based on the reviewer committee. The students displaying their models will receive certificate and memento. Accommodation is available for out station candidates on first come first serve basis.

The post Two-Day Science Expo by GITAM appeared first on Higher Education Plus.