January 2023
KNOWLEDGE TREE - IMPACTFUL STORIES FROM IIT BOMBAY
Dear Alumnus,
“You can get excited about the future. The past won’t mind.” — Hillary DePiano, playwright and author
Greetings and best wishes for a safe, healthy, happy, and prosperous new year 2023 to you and your family.
After a rough few years, it is indeed relieving that the world is closing the chapter on the pandemic and finally turning a new page toward normality. Let us look forward to the upcoming new year 2023 and the immense possibilities that it brings with it.
IIT Bombay has had a very busy celebration-filled December 2022. One of the benefits of life returning to normalcy was the many events we could host in person.
Amidst the many reunions that took place during the final month of 2022, we held our flagship annual Alumni Day on December 25, 2022. There was palpable energy and excitement on campus as we hosted our alumni who joined us – in person – from all over the world.
FACULTY INTERVIEW
Prof. Sudarshan Kumar is the Institute Chair Professor & Head of the Aerospace Engineering Department, IIT Bombay. In this tete-a-tete, Prof. Kumar elaborates on his myriad research pursuits and shares the secret behind his astonishing 100+ research papers published in reputed journals. We are delighted to speak with Prof. Kumar for the Dean ACR Newsletter – Knowledge Tree.
Prof. Kumar, thank you for speaking to us today. To begin with – can you quickly take us through your academic and career trajectory?
I received my bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Marathwada University, Aurangabad. Back then, aerospace was emerging as a major focus area in the country, with regular updates in the news on the indigenous development of missiles and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme. This intrigued me and led me to join the Aerospace Engineering Department at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore for my master’s degree.
GIVING
IIT Bombay launched the 2022-23 edition of its annual GO IITB fund-raising campaign for various critical and timely initiatives on campus.
IIT Bombay is now an ‘Institute of Eminence’ and its mission going forward is to establish globally competitive infrastructure including Centres of Excellence and state-of-the-art labs; attract, nurture and retain exceptional faculty who perform cutting-edge research and mentor students; and provide holistic education to our students.
IIT Bombay needs its extensive alumni community to rally around and donate generously to its alma mater. With its alumni’s support, the Institute hopes to create a bright future for the next generation of scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders.
SPECIAL REPORT
IIT Bombay launched the 2022-23 edition of its annual GO IITB fund-raising campaign for various critical and timely initiatives on campus.
IIT Bombay is now an ‘Institute of Eminence’ and its mission going forward is to establish globally competitive infrastructure including Centres of Excellence and state-of-the-art labs; attract, nurture and retain exceptional faculty who perform cutting-edge research and mentor students; and provide holistic education to our students.
IIT Bombay needs its extensive alumni community to rally around and donate generously to its alma mater. With its alumni’s support, the Institute hopes to create a bright future for the next generation of scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders.
Research Spotlight of the Month
IIT Bombay is a part of a multi-institute endeavour MEGA-ACE which has received the Algorand grant for strengthening research in blockchain technology.
Today, the news is full of buzzwords such as ‘cryptocurrency’ and ‘blockchain.’ Ever wondered what they are? Blockchain is a distributed digital database that is shared using a computer network. It records transactions and tracks ownership of assets such as cryptocurrencies, land records, and goods in the supply chain.
A team from IIT Bombay led by Prof. Manoj Prabhakaran, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, is one of the ten teams selected by the Algorand Foundation under the Algorand Centres of Excellence (ACEs) Program.
DONOR INSTITUTED CHAIR PROFESSORSHIPS
FACULTY ACCOLADES
Student Success Stories
From dreaming about space to watching sci-fi movies onscreen – very few of us get the opportunity to build something challenging, thrilling, and practical in the field of space exploration. IIT Bombay’s Mars Rover Team had the opportunity to build an actual physical Mars Rover which they entered in the International Rover Design Challenge (IRDC) 2022 and placed fifth out of 24 teams. What an outstanding accomplishment for the students and the Institute!
We are delighted to speak with the winning team for the first edition of the 2022 Dean ACR newsletter.
Hi guys, First of all, CONGRATULATIONS! What an incredible accomplishment! I bet you guys are very proud of yourselves, as you should be.
NEWS FROM IIT BOMBAY
INSTITUTE HIGHLIGHTS
Upcoming Events
Reunion Class of 1978
IIT Bombay will celebrate the reunion of the Class of 1978 in January 2023. It has been 45 years since the Class of 1978 graduated, and almost 50 years since they first met on campus. Despite living on different continents and having widely divergent lives and careers – IITB’s alumni still share bonds that have endured for half a century. So, return to your alma mater, reconnect and reminisce with your batchmates and hostel mates and rediscover your favourite campus. Come to the reunion of the Class of 1978 and make lifelong memories.
If you’re in India, please register here for the event: https://www.iitbombay.org/e/reunion-class-of-1978
If you’re overseas, please register here: https://www.iitbombay.org/e/reunion-class-of-1978-usd
- Day & Date: Fri, Jan 13, 2023 - Sun, Jan 15, 2023
- Time: 11.00 am onwards
- Venue: IIT Bombay Campus
Golden Jubilee Reunion Class of 1970
IIT Bombay will celebrate the Golden Jubilee Reunion of the Class of 1970 in January 2023.
Since the 1970 Golden Jubilee Reunion should have taken place in 2020, the pandemic played spoilsport to the event. But IIT Bombay and IIT Bombay Alumni Association resolved to hold an in-person reunion for the 1970 batch, even if it happened three years later. So, please come back to your alma mater during this milestone occasion and relive your glorious memories from the past with your fellow alums.
If you reside in India, please register here for the event: https://www.iitbombay.org/e/golden-jubilee-reunion-class-of-1970-alumni-residing-in-india
If you reside overseas, please register here: https://www.iitbombay.org/e/golden-jubilee-reunion-class-of-1970-alumni-residing-in-abroad
- Day & Date: Sat, Jan 28, 2023 - Mon, Jan 30, 2023
- Time: 9.00 am onwards
- Venue: IIT Bombay Campus
DSSE Entrepreneurship Symposium
The Desai Sethi School of Entrepreneurship will host an entrepreneurship symposium in the upcoming new year. Apart from unveiling the new DSSE building, the symposium will host two panel discussions. The topics are ‘Evolving Role of Entrepreneurship Education and Academic Incubators’ and ‘Fostering Entrepreneurship Ecosystem from Research to Impact.’
- Day & Date: Tuesday, Jan 31, 2023
- Time: 4.00 pm – 7:00 pm
- Venue: IIT Bombay Campus
The Knowledge Tree – Dean ACR Newsletter December 2022
Chief Content Consultant and Editor (IITB DRF) – Roopa Swaminathan
Contributors:
SARC – Head: Media and PR
Rachit Merani – B.S. – 3rd Year (Economics)
Radhika Bakshi –B.Tech/M.Tech Dual Degree – 3rd Year (Metallurgical Engineering and Material Science)
SARC – Coordinators: Media and PR
Amogha Pote
Dev Parekh
Harshil Khatri
Priyanshi Garg
Shlok Zanwar
Ujjawal Pardeshi