The National Institute of Immunology (NII) on Thursday launched a programme titled “Science Setu” to build a bridge between research institutes and undergraduate colleges.
The plan was formulated after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Teachers’ Day address last year, had asked scientists to actively involve themselves in teaching school and college students. The NII has partnered with 10 colleges from Delhi University to provide teaching hours, guidance and resources to address the changing needs of teaching, learning and resource in biological sciences.
The aim is to identify bright students in the field of biology and nurture a talent pool that will eventually become future scientists. Under the programme, every permanent faculty member of NII is expected to interact with students and teachers for at least 12 hours per year in the form of lectures, seminars, guided sessions or web seminars. The institute has also offered to allow selected students to uses its facilities as interns during vacations.
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A seminar was organised at the institute to launch the programme, in which Department of Biotechnology Secretary K. VijayRaghavan delivered the keynote address on the topic “Why We Should Stop Studying And Have Fun Learning”.
In his address, Professor VijayRaghavan said that students should stop picking a field of study on the basis of “scope” in the field and how “rich” it can make you. He advised students that a field that is “hot” today will not be tomorrow, and the only way to do well is to love doing what you do.
Professor VijayRaghavan told students to make a lot of friends from diverse fields so that later in life these friends provide insight, solve problems and help achieve success.
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NII Director Chandrima Shaha said the institute has been doing research for 25 years and that this event was an attempt to build bridges, not just with the 10 colleges they have signed the MoUs with but on a much larger scale through web seminars that will be bilingual so that they reach every part of the country.
It is an opportunity to convince the brightest students who are not opting for science as a career to become scientists and solve problems.
The seminar also had an inter-college quiz for students and an address by the guest of honour Raghavendra Gadagkar of Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science and Indian National Science Academy president spoke on “Science Education Indisciplined”.