Dr. Suresh Das has been appointed director of the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) at Pappanamcode here.
An eminent scientist in Photochemistry and photonic materials, Dr. Sas is currently the Senior Scientist and Head of the Chemical Sciences and Technology division at NIIST. He obtained his Ph.D in Chemistry in 1981 from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K. He did his post doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute, Germany, the Radiation Laboratory, University of Notre Dame, USA and at the University of Houston, Texas, USA.
Dr. Das joined the NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram in 1989. He has more than 100 research publications and several international patents to his credit. He is a recipient of several awards and honours which include the CRSI and MRSI medals. He is a fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore and council member of the Asian and Oceanian Photochemical Society.
Talking to The Hindu after receiving intimation about his appointment as director, Dr. Das said he would try to facilitate better collaboration for research in a wide range of areas. “My thrust would be to promote cross talk between departments in the institute as well as with other institutes,” he said. “A good researcher should be a good collaborator,” he added.
Dr. Das said it was heartening to note the increasing interest in basic science research. “Initiatives like the Indian Institute for Science Education and Research (IISER) are a recognition of the need for technically equipped manpower in India’s drive to become a global player,” he said.
