National Science Day: MURTI Research Centre at GITAM Bengaluru

Bengaluru: On the occasion of National Science Day, in keeping with the momentum of the National Education Policy 2020's fundamental principle of research as a corequisite for outstanding education and development, GITAM Bengaluru has inaugurated the Multidisciplinary Unit of Research on Translational Initiatives (MURTI) Research Centre today.

This pioneering multidisciplinary research initiative brings together top minds to collaborate, innovate, and drive meaningful change. By bringing together researchers from various fields onto a common platform, MURTI aims to harness the collective expertise of researchers from varied backgrounds to tackle challenges that transcend individual disciplines.

The launch event witnessed the presence of distinguished dignitaries, including Dr. Kota Harinarayana, Programme Director, and Chief Designer of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas program, along with Christopher W. Hodges, Consul General of the U.S. Consulate in Chennai. GITAM Vice Chancellor Prof. Dayananda Siddavattam, and ProVC Bengaluru Campus Prof. KNS Acharya added prominence to the event.

Dr. Kota Harinarayana, renowned engineer, academician, and Programme Director and Chief Designer of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas program, said, “There is a need for total rethinking about how sustainable technology must grow. I am happy GITAM has established (MURTI) in a record time. It is the right beginning with 13 areas that have been identified, and these are the areas where we make a change. Not only GITAM but also society at large will benefit. Our aim is now to connect the university with industry and the society.”

He further added “There is a need to re-engineer the engineering. It is a fundamental need. The way we generate energy, the way we store energy, the way we transmit energy, the whole thing has to be re-looked at. I believe that Mr. Christopher W. Hodges’ presence should ensure a strong collaboration between U.S. academia, U.S. industry, Indian academia, Indian industry, and, in general, the society at large.”

U.S. Consul General Chennai Christopher W. Hodges, highlighted, “MURTI is the kind of integrated and dynamic research model we need for innovation and partnership that helps drive our economies and relationship forward.”

ProVC, GITAM, Bengaluru Campus, Prof. KNS Acharya emphasized, “Research and Development is incredibly crucial for academic institutions in India. It is pivotal in fostering innovation, advancing knowledge, and keeping academic curriculums and programs updated with the latest developments. It addresses critical challenges, fostering entrepreneurship, and developing solutions for industry and society. Viewed from the perspective of student-centered education, the MURTI initiative empowers students to transcend mere memorization and actively engage in real-world problem-solving within cutting-edge laboratory settings. It nurtures a mindset that embraces failure as a natural part of the experimentation process, fostering the development of both critical thinking and practical reasoning skills.”

Vice-Chancellor, GITAM, Prof. Dayananda Siddavattam, remarked, “MURTI aims to create an interdisciplinary research culture under the leadership of eminent scholars, young researchers, and enthusiastic students to work on pressing global issues with local relevance. The university has invested 100 crores to upgrade the research infrastructure and to recruit young, talented research students from across the country as MURTI Excellence fellows. Bengaluru MURTI is destined to transform into a MURTI science park to create a knowledge hub and become an epicenter to generate knowledge technologies required to aid the region’s sustainable development. The MURTI Centre will actively collaborate with world-renowned research institutes like the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCAR), and Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) and a galaxy of software and hardware industry leaders to find solutions to some of the pressing problems of modern societies. The Centre will collaborate with the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, to bring AI-assisted agricultural practices to revolutionize crop protection, crop management, water conservation, and post-harvest technologies.”