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| Professor Vinod Subramaniam: Globalising MESA+'s education and research further (Foto: Arjan Reef) |
This year in March, Professor Dave Blank, the scientific director of MESA+, and Professor Vinod Subramaniam, the chair holder of Biophysical Engineering at the Faculty of Science and Technology (TNW), visited the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in Bangalore, India, to forge a partnership.
How long did you stay in India on your recent trip and which cities did you visit?
Dave Blank: `Our stay was during the Easter holiday, so unfortunately, only for 4 days.
We visited Chennai and Bangalore. It was my very first trip to India.'
What are your impressions of India?
DB: `It was very impressive! My first impression concerns the traffic: scooters were carrying whole families, plying the roads alongside cars! I did some sightseeing as well and the colors were really striking; but most of all, the people are very nice and friendly, and they have a strong drive to learn and experience the world.'
Could you shed some light on the nature of the collaboration?
Vinod Subramaniam: `I would say it is a structural collaboration with the JNCASR, which is going into nanotechnology in a big way. The specifics of this collaboration, aimed at increasing MESA+'s visibility among the international student and research communities, are still being worked out.'
As of now, are there any concrete details available?
VS: `To start with, a joint symposium will be held in 2009 in Enschede, and plans are in the works to hold such symposiums every year, alternating between Enschede and Bangalore. There will be student exchange programs between the two institutes, which would be really beneficial for the participants. It is a good chance not just for Indian students, but also for Dutch students to participate in an internship in India.'
Why was an Indian institute chosen for this collaboration?
VS: `The choice for India was driven by its talent pool and my own knowledge of the country. Besides this, Professor C.N.R. Rao, the founding president of the JNCASR, is also on the Scientific Advisory Board of MESA+.'
How enthusiastic is Professor Rao about this collaboration?
VS: `He is very enthusiastic about it, as he is one of the driving forces behind the growth of nanotechnology in India. It does help that he is involved in this process because he holds the position of chairman of the Science Advisory Council to the Indian Prime Minister.'
How would you rate the facilities at the JNCASR?
VS: `The equipments and facilities are state-of-the-art, and they are backed by huge funding, especially for nanotechnology initiatives.'
Would this initiative of MESA+ inspire other faculties / institutes of the UT to follow suit?
VS: `As far as I know, other faculties already have similar initiatives, but MESA+ may be the first one to go for a structured collaboration.'
Did the trip yield satisfactory results?
DB: `The visit was very successful and the symposium to be held next year in Enschede will strengthen the collaboration. It is also worth mentioning that AADHAAR (a socio-charitable organization founded by Indians at the UT, primarily operating in the backward regions of India) designed a brochure for the student exchange program.'
Did you try the hot and spicy Indian food?
DB: `Oh yes, Vinod took me out to some restaurants serving both southern and northern Indian delicacies. I am pretty used to spicy food and it was delicious!'
