The Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, the oldest medical school in the State, is organising an Erudite Conclave 2011, as part of the institution’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations here on Nov. 8 and 9.
An event of national importance, it will bring together eminent persons from various fields, including science, education, art and culture, so as to share their knowledge and expertise and to showcase the excellence achieved by them.
The event, envisioned by the current graduating batch of medical students in the College, is restricted to 600 delegates, from various national institutions. The two-day event will have talks by eminent scientists and Nobel laureates, debates, problem-solving sessions and will also provide an opportunity for students to interact with the delegates.
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Some of the erudite minds who will share their thoughts at the conclave include Rolf M. Zinkernagel, Professor of Experimental Immunology, University of Zurich, who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine in 1996 for his discovery of how the body’s immune system recognises infected cells. Dr. Zinkernagel had shared the Nobel with Peter C. Doherty.
In his talk, `The Beginner’s Guide to the Nobel Prize’, he will unravel the working of a scientist’s mind, the ups and downs of experimentations and why the scientist is always delighted by the unexpected.
Sanduk Ruit, the Nepal-born Ophthalmic Surgeon changed the lives of millions when he succeeded in devising an intraocular lens which cost just US $ 3.5 in place of the lens which cost US $ 100. His discovery made cataract surgery, one of the commonest causes of blindness, affordable to the poorest in developing countries. He was awarded the Magsaysay Award in 2006. Dr. Ruit in his session will talk about his journey which began from a remote hilly district in Nepal .
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Anil K Gupta, faculty member of IIM-Ahmedabad, founded the Honeybee network to give space and recognition to grassroot level innovators, locally relevant traditional knowledge and wisdom and artisans. Through his efforts he has been giving faces to thousands of creative minds in far-flung areas and acknowledging their potential for innovation.
Air Marshal SP Singh ( Southern Air Command ) will talk about military leadership; Balabhaskar, the gifted violinist will talk about his life and journey as a musician; Ananda Sankar Jayant, renowned classical dancer and Padma Shri awardee, will speak about how dance took her through one of the toughest times in her life as she battled cancer.
Some other interesting sessions expected at the conclave include the Making of the Bionic Eye and how cancer can be conquered early though simple screening even before it strikes
There will also be a session on Cross Science solutions in which students of medicine, technology and management students will be given an opportunity to collaborate and come up with solutions for socially relevant issues. The two topics chosen for this session are the issue of waste management in Thiruvananthapuram and how cervical cancer screening can be improved.
A panel of experts will judge the event.
Delegates will also have a chance to win a book autographed by Dr. Rolf Zinkernagel, Nobel Laureate. Registration is now open and is available to Undergraduates and Post graduates from all fields including practicing doctors. For details, log on to www.eruditeconclave.com