On Sunday, 12 March 2017, an interaction session between Prof. Prashant Kamat, Editor-in-Chief, ACS Energy Letters, and young researchers of CeNS, JNCASR and CeNSE-IISc was held at the Lecture Hall, CeNS. Prof. Kamat, a Zahm Professor of Science at the University of Notre Dame, USA, spoke to the researchers about the art of publishing scientific research. The interaction was filled with very useful tips from Prof. Kamat about different aspects of writing a good manuscript and to publish in reputed journals. The highlight of the programme was an hour long question and answer session found extremely fruitful by the research student community. After the session, the festival of colors, was played both by the students and professors alike with lot of fervour and gaiety.
The country celebrates February 28 as National Science Day to commemorate the discovery of Raman Effect. The theme of this year’s celebrations of this event at our Centre is “Science and Technology for specially abled persons”, the topic being selected by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Several programmes were organized in this regard. This included visits to schools based in Bangalore which specifically cater to specially abled students, e.g., Association for Persons with Disabilities, Academy for Severe Handicaps and Autism (ASHA) Charitable Trust. During these visits, spread over a week in February, our researchers interacted with the students as well as the teaching staff to learn about the functioning of these schools and to explore ways where the Centre can contribute in providing additional academic interaction. As a corollary a visit to our Centre by children of four different special schools, Spastics Society of Karnataka, Asha Kiran, Deepika Special School and ASHA was arranged on 22 Febraury 2017. A specifically designed science demonstration tour was the highlight.
The main event culminating these activities was held on 28 February, in which students of B.E.L. high school as well as all the staff & student members participated. The programme was presided over by Prof. G.U. Kulkarni, the Director of the Centre, and included a lecture on “Science of Colour” by Dr. P. Viswanath, a faculty, a science-based skit by CeNS researchers and a compiled video show on specially abled achievers. A Science Quiz show was also held for the members of the Centre. The LitE Gallery, a hall hosting exhibits and hands-on experiments designed for school and college going students, was also inaugurated that day and will be, henceforth, an important component of Centre’s flourishing science outreach programme.
The entire activity was coordinated by a senior faculty, Dr. S. Krishna Prasad. The Centre sincerely thanks Ms. Jayashree Ramesh, Director, ASHA for the copious help in organizing the events with the special schools.
Dr. C V. Yelamaggad was the Chief Guest and Keynote speaker at the inauguration function at the UGC Sponsored One Day State Level Seminar on Advances in Materials Sciences January 20th 2017, held at P. C. Jabin Science College, Vidyanagar, Hubballi
Science Camp organized by the University College, Mangaluru during 24-28 November 2016. The Pilikula Regional Science Centre,Mangaluru was the venue of the camp in which about 300 students who scored marks in the top 1% bracket in their 10th board examination and now studying in 11th standard participated.Prof.Suresh delivered two talks titled "Pioneers in Science" and "Soft matter: Liquid crystals, gels and membranes".
“Ms. Monika M. has been awarded the 'Best Paper Presentation Award' for her paper entitled “Hockey Stick-Shaped azo compounds: effect of linkage groups and their direction of linking on mesomorphic properties” at SCICON '16 International Conference on Advanced Materials organized by the Department of Sciences, AMRITA Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore, during 19-21 December, 2016.
“Mr. Sachin Ashok Bhat has been awarded the 'Best Poster Presentation Award' for his poster entitled “Nanoparticles Coated with Dimer-Like Mesogenic Ligands: Synthesis and Characterization of Liquid-Crystalline Nanoparticle (LC-NP) Composite” at NCLC-2016, Dhanbad.
CeNS participated in the recently held IISF 2016 at NPL, Delhi from Dec 7-11, which saw India’s biggest science fest with participation from academia, industry and schools. Several programmes were arranged such as popular science talks on socially relevant themes and patenting, industry-academia interaction, international and national science films and competition for school students. CeNS showcased their research through posters and demonstrative models in the Mega Science Expo exhibited in a stall under DST pavilion. Several school students and other researchers appreciated our prototypes, Triboelectric generator and Transparent heater.
Tech Expo Gallery for displaying and conducting scientific demonstrations and showcasing its R&D activities, for the benefit of school/college students and for general public.
October 3rd, 2016: Tata Steel signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Centre For Nano and Soft Matter (CeNS) Bengaluru to set up the Tata Steel Advanced Materials Research Center (TSAMRC) at CeNS.This initiative is in the light of Tata Steel being entrusted with the responsibility of developing a long-term strategic roadmap in the area of advanced materials.
Prof. G. U. Kulkarni, Director CeNS said that TSAMRC stands for growing relations of CeNS with Tata Steel and industries in general, which in the near future should pave the way to enhanced translational activities leading to nanotech products.
Mr. Anand Sen, President, Total Quality Management and Steel Business, Tata Steel Limited, recalled that Tata Steel has been collaborating with CeNS in recent past to develop anti-corrosion solutions using novel graphene technologies. The aim is to take this work beyond steel into smart substrates that can be integrated into automotive and construction solutions. The Centre will draw on the expertise and experience of the rich faculty at CeNS and its world class experimental facilities and will strive to create prototypes and pilots that can be taken up not only by Tata Steel but also by other companies in the Tata Group.” The occasion was also graced by Dr. Gopichand Katragadda, Group Chief Technology Officer, Tata Sons. Dr. Katragadda remarked, “The Advanced Materials Research Center at CeNS would help shorten the lab to pilot phase of product development using nanomaterials including graphene for market applications. He was confident that the Tata – CeNS centre will attract the best of talent to work on cutting edge materials technologies.” Mr. Anand Sen, President, Total Quality Management and Steel Business, Tata Steel Limited; Dr. Gopichand Katragadda, Group Chief Technology Officer, Tata Sons and Dr. G. U. Kulkarni, Director CeNS during “The Advanced Materials Research Center at CeNS would help shorten the lab to pilot phase of product development using nanomaterials including graphene for market applications. He was confident that the Tata – CeNS centre will attract the best of talent to work on cutting edge materials technologies.” Mr. Anand Sen, President, Total Quality Management and Steel Business, Tata Steel Limited; Dr. Gopichand Katragadda, Group Chief Technology Officer, Tata Sons and Dr. G. U. Kulkarni, Director CeNS during inauguration of the Prototype Gallery hosted at CeNS.
Mr. Sunil Walia shared the best poster presentation award at the Workshop on Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Manipal University, 16-17 Aug 2016.
