Universities and research laboratories should stop working in silos and focus on collaborative research programmes, advisor in the Department of Science and Technology Akhilesh Gupta has said.
“India has a large number of publications that are cited across the world, and the number of such publications has gone up significantly over the last decade and a half. But then, there is a need to create a conducive climate for collaborative research and networking of research institutions,” he said, speaking at the GITAM Institute of Science here on Friday.
UGC programmeThe University Grants Commission has set in place a joint appointment programme under which a researcher of a university would be able to get a parallel admission in a research institution, which would allow him to utilise the facilities in the laboratories for a period of six months to a year.
This would encourage a greater interaction, and thus pave the way for collaborative research, the former secretary of UGC explained.
There was a need to form a National Science and Engineering Research Board to bring research in the two subjects under one umbrella organisation, he said, and suggested drawing up of a roadmap for national aspirations for expected research output.
The neglect of research by the State governments was a major obstacle in the country, he said.
GITAM Vice-Chancellor G. Subrahmanyam, GIS principal N. Lakshman Das, Director, UGC affairs, Ch. Rama Krishna, Dean, School of Life Sciences, T. Ramana, and pro Vice-Chancellor D. Harinarayana attended the lecture.
