Kochi: CUSAT enables school students meet scholars

KOCHI: ‘Meet the scholar programme’, one of a series of ambitious and innovative initiatives organised by State Institute of Educational Technology(SIET) under General Education Department for school children has taken off to a colourful start at CUSAT here.

The programme, organised jointly by SIET and CUSAT Inter University Centre for Nanomaterials and Devices(IUCND) was inaugurated by B. Abu Raj, Director of SIET.

“As part of the state government’s objective of raising the standard of education, SIET has embarked upon a series of new ventures to bring up promising students to a level of international reckoning.

‘Meet the scholar programme’ organised in ass-ociation  with the  Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC), envisages meeting  and sharing of ideas by erudite scholars from foreign universities  visiting university departments and colleges in the state with selected students  from the government and aided schools in the vicinity,” said Abu Raj.

Accordingly, the other day 60 selected students from various government and aided schools in and around Kalamassery atte-nded the programme and interacted with Prof. Su-resh C Pillai from Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland and Dr. Victor Koledov, leading scientist, Kotelnikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics of Russian Academy of Sciences, both experts in nanotechnology and nanomaterials, currently in CUSAT under the ‘scholar in residence programme’ of KSHEC.

The objective of the programme is to inculcate scientific temper among the school children and try to raise the meritorious and promising students to renowned scientists.

“Last year 70 students of 9th standard, selected from various schools through talent test, were sent to prominent national institutes like IIT –Mumbai and TIFR.  Another 50 students selected from 42 schools are being sent to different colleges to visit the laboratories and facilities under the ‘Sasthrajalakam’ programme.  
On 13th next, Nobel laureate Sir Richard Robert will participate in a programme being organised for students at MES College, Mambad.  We are closely monitoring these students to understand the effects of these programmes,”,  Abu Raj said. 

Prof. Honey John, Director, IUCND,  CUSAT, and Syndicate member and Director, Centre for Advanced Materials, Prof.M.K. Jayaraj, SIET  State Programme Co-ordinator Dr. T. V. Vimal Kumar, KSHEC Research Officer Dr.Manulal P Ram and Dr.Manoj N attended the inaugural event.