BITS Pilani

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• BITS Pilani hosted the 12th World Congress on Regional Science

  • 29 May 2018
  • BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus

  29th May to 1st June 2018

  BITS Pilani hosted the 12th World Congress on Regional Science

  29 May 2018

  BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus hosted and organized the 12^th World Congress of the Regional Science Association International in collaboration with Town and Country Planning Department of Goa and the Regional Science Association (RSA), India from 29^th May to 1^st June 2018. The Congress, attended by over 500 delegates from India and abroad, was held for the first time in India at Goa. The objective of the Congress was to provide an encouraging environment for researchers across the globe, to interact and learn from one another, and create a network that will be attractive and inspiring for young students and scholars. It further aimed to strengthen the community of regional scientists and achieve a better understanding of our future needs.

   

  Her Excellency, Dr. Smt. Mridula Sinha, Governor of Goa, inaugurated the Congress in presence of Director of BITS Pilani Goa Campus, Prof G. Raghurama, Professors Budy Resosudarmo (President of RSAI), Guest of Honor, Bibek Debroy (Chief Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister of India and Member, NITI Aayog) and the venerable C R Pathak. In his introductory remarks, Dr. Debasis Patnaik spoke of the need for integration of disciplines because of regional needs and aspirations after providing a brief outline of the evolutionary progress of the Cosmos and the Humans and the inevitable pitfalls and mistakes that the world is passing through. Prof Sumona Banerjee, President of RSA-India, proposed the vote of thanks at the inaugural function.

   

  The Theme of the Conference “Spatial Systems: Social Integration, Regional Development and Sustainability” was demonstrably brought to light by eminent speakers like Professors Peter Nijkamp, Andre Torre, Lee Yeung, Manfred Fisher, Yoshiro Higano, Xie ling, Zeynap Elburz, Paulo Casaca, Janet Kohlhase (USA), Andres Rodriguez Pose (LSE), Satish Kumar, Hiroyuki Shibusawa, and others. The Valedictory Address was delivered by Prof. Amitabh Kundu, Regional Advisor on Poverty-EDID, UN ESCWA, India.

   

  Local Converers of this Congress including the faculty members of BITS Pilani, Goa Campus Dr. Debasis Patnaik (Department of Economics) and Dr. R P Pradhan (Humanities and Social Sciences) along with Chief Town Planner Dr. S T Puttaraju successfully organized this Congress. The Executive Director of RSAI, Prof. Tomaz Dentinho provided overall guidance to the Organizers.

   

  The sub-themes were aimed at providing a platform for debates and discussions around the key issues of contemporary regional science and carve out the way to future research agenda. The sub-themes discussed during the course of Congress include: Regional Inequality, Regional and Urban planning, Regional Finance, Innovation, Disaster Management, Governance Issues, Health Issues, Environment and Climate Change, Locational Activity, Growth and Development Issues in Latin America, Africa, Europe, South Asia, Goa, West Bengal and India, Spatial Econometrics, Tourism, Real Estate and Housing, Water Management, Co-operation and Diaspora, Social Integration, Rural Development and Methodological Issues in Regional Sciences. A Special Session on Braille Mapping by NATMO was also held.

   

  Across the world, communities are striving to achieve an ecologically and socially secure future. The intricately linked ideas of sustainability and integration are the key to achieving our development goals. As regional scientists, common pursuit of a sustainable future may be attained with more efficient understanding of the ‘region’ as a spatial unit. Keeping this objective in mind, the theme of the 2018 Congress highlights the importance of analyzing spatial systems as not just physical space or social space, but shared space.

• BITS Pilani, Goa Campus participated in Aviation Indigenisation Expo 2018

  • 18 May 2018
  • BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus

  Held on May 18-19

  BITS Pilani, Goa Campus participated in Aviation Indigenisation Expo 2018

  18 May 2018

  BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus was the only Academic institute, invited to participate in the recently concluded ‘Aviation Indigenisation Expo 2018’. The Expo was organized by Naval Aircraft Yard (Goa), Indian Navy and Aeronautical Society of India, Goa on May 18 - 19, at Rajhans Auditorium, Dabolim, Goa. Vice Admiral Girish Luthra PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Western Naval Command inaugurated the Expo and Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS) delivered the keynote address.

   

  Prof. Sunil Bhand (Dean, Sponsored Research and Consulting Division), Prof. N N Ghosh (Associate Dean, International Programmes and Collaboration Division), Dr. Nitin Sharma (Assistant Professor, Dept. of Electrical and Electronics Engineering), Mr. Gibin George and Mr. Abhijit Dey (both PhD Scholars) represented BITS Pilani Goa Campus at the Expo. 

   

  BITS presented its infrastructure and strength in handling government and Industrial R&D projects through demos and posters. Information about several projects including funded by agencies such as Melinda & Gates foundation, GAIL, ISRO, BRNS, DRDO, etc. were presented during the 2-days Expo. Demos for Multi-Constellation multi-frequency Software GNSS Receiver developed by Dr. Nitin Sharma and his team for ISRO and FPGA Based Fuzzy Logic Picomotor Controller for Laser Beam Pointing Stability Correction developed by Dr. Amalin Prince and his team for BRNS were also presented.

   

  Chief Guest, top Naval officers and other industry delegates visited BITS stall for detailed discussion with its representatives and appreciated its work. BITS representatives at the stall are expecting some of the discussions with Naval Officers and industry delegates to materialize in form of research projects in the near future.

• Eighth DAE-BRNS biennial symposium SESTEC 2018 inaugurated at BITS Pilani Goa Campus

  • 23 May 2018
  • BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus

  23rd to 26th May 2018

  Eighth DAE-BRNS biennial symposium SESTEC 2018 inaugurated at BITS Pilani Goa Campus

  23 May 2018

  Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in association with Department of Chemistry, BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus and the Association of Separation Scientists and Technologists (ASSET) organized the eighth edition of DAE-BRNS biennial symposium on “Emerging Trends in Separation Science and Technology (SESTEC-2018)” at BITS Pilani, Goa Campus, from 23^rd to 26^th May 2018.

   

  The four-day symposium attended by about 250 delegates from India and abroad, was inaugurated by Prof. P R Vasudeva Rao, Vice Chancellor, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai. The Director of BITS Pilani Goa Campus, Prof. G. Raghurama; Dr. P. K. Pujari, Co-Chairman of SESTEC-2018 and Associate Director, RC & I group, BARC, conveners and secretary of SESTEC-2018 were also present for the inaugural function. Dr. Mainak Banerjee, Co-convener of SESTEC 2018 and faculty at BITS Pilani Goa Campus welcomed the dignitaries and delegates of the symposium on behalf of the organisers.

   

  In his remarks, Prof. G. Raghurama mentioned about the history and legacy BITS is carrying for last over half a century. He also highlighted the importance of collaboration of premier national research institutes with academia, in particular, privately funded universities. Prof. Rao shared the recent advancement and future in separation science in India.  He also mentioned about the large uranium resource in sea water, which can generate large quantum of nuclear energy and cater the society as the alternative power source. Dr. P K Pujari in his address mentioned about difficulties and the recent breakthroughs in separation of actinides and lanthandes.

   

  SESTEC series involves eminent separation scientists and technologists from India and abroad. The aim of this symposium is to hold an open deliberation on state-of- the-art developments in the important areas of R&D of separation science and technologies and allied areas. The major areas of the conference were separations in nuclear fuel cycle, membrane science and technology, treatment of industrial effluents, chromatography and pyrochemical separations, computational chemistry in separation science, radiochemical separations, green separations, speciation studies etc. It provided a forum for young research scholars to interact with senior scientists/ academicians and discuss the new frontiers in separation science and share their current research interests so as to have a fusion of viable ideas to be realized in future.

• BITS Pilani Goa Campus students awarded prestigious scholarships at world renowned Institutes

  • 22 May 2018
  • BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus

  BITS Goa

  BITS Pilani Goa Campus students awarded prestigious scholarships at world renowned Institutes

  22 May 2018

  Mr. Aman Dalal, an early-graduate from the department for being awarded the following: Holland Scholarship from the Dutch Ministry of Education and Delft Faculty Scholarship to pursue his MSc in Integrated Product Design at TU Delft, The Netherlands.

  Aman will pursue a 2-year masters degree in a course that is a unique multidisciplinary blend of design and engineering. The IPD Master’s programme provides an integrated approach to the disciplines involved: advanced studies in innovative design theory and methods, aesthetics, ergonomics, engineering, and sustainability.

  Having a background in mechanical engineering from BITS Goa, extensive experience in graphics at his design firm Pixelworks, and a thesis in sustainable product design at National Institute of Design - Ahmedabad, Aman found a perfect fit in the design degree offered by TU Delft, which is one of its kind in the world.

  
  

  Mr. Suparno Pal, a third year student in the department, for being awarded the prestigious DAAD WISE Scholarship 2018.

  As part of this scholarship, Suparno will be pursuing a 12 week summer research project at TU Munich, Germany.

  He will be working with the Neuroelectronics Group to develop a portable device for screening nanoparticle impurities in water. This project has a larger scope towards developing better sensing platforms for neurodegenerative applications in vitro.