MIT gears up for its tech fest

The Electronics Engineering Association (EEA), MIT, Anna University, Chennai, is organising ELECTROFOCUS'11, its annual inter-collegiate national level technical symposium. Every year, more than 3000 students attend the fest from over 350 colleges around India. EEA is an educative association of the Department of Electronics that is committed to organising workshops and events to improve the practical understanding of students and brings out the spirit of innovation in the young engineers of this country. Web site: www.eea.mitindia.edu.

source:http://www.hindu.com/edu/2011/03/08/stories/2011030850050100.htm

Symposium on trends in biochemistry inaugurated at AMU

Aligarh: Inaugurating a National Symposium on 'Current Trends in Biochemical, Biomedical andEnvironmental Sciences' organized by the Department of Biochemistry, Vice Chancellor P.K. Abdul Azis of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) said that it is quite appropriate in the present day scenario where interdisciplinary research is the norm and boundaries between various disciplines are getting blurred.

Prof. Azis said that the Department of Biochemistry has produced distinguished scientists and entrepreneurs and these alumni are working in theUnited States. He pointed out that AMU had decided to establish central instrumentation facilities with modern equipment to boost more research activities. 

Prof. Azis emphasized that the university needed biomedical, bio-engineering and environmental sciences departments and urged the faculty members to submit proposals for the same to theUniversity Grants Commission (UGC). 

He hoped that the symposium will promote scientific exchange and also encourage more collaborative and inter-disciplinary research at AMU. 

Organizing Secretary of the symposium Qayyum Husain, in his welcome addresses said that the first batch of M.Sc. Bio Chemistry passed out in 1959. "Since, then 56 students have obtained M.Sc. and more than 200 candidates awarded have gone to developed countries on post-doctoral assignment," he said.

He further added that the research activities of the department have been founded by national and international funding agencies. 

Faculty of Life Sciences Dean Masood Ahmed said that teaching of biochemistry had regained and affirmed the status of a foundation course on medical sciences. Health and disease of living organisms including human beings as well as of ecosystems are empirically assessed by biochemical parameters. 

He said that the product of the department has proved its worth in the developed world including USA, Canada, England, France and Germany and this department is considered as flagship department of this university. 

Prof. Rajiv Bhatt of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) said that AMU is a vibrant campus. He said that Bio Sciences will be leading the future.

Prof. Bilqees Bano, Chairperson of the Department of Biochemistry proposed a vote of thanks and Ms. Maria Salman conducted the inaugural session. A large number of delegates from all parts of the country participated in the deliberations.

source:http://indiaedunews.net/Uttar_Pradesh/Symposium_on_trends_in_biochemistry_inaugurated_at_AMU_13577/

Symposium on digital libraries

The Department of Library and Information Science of the University of Madras holds the distinction of being one of the oldest departments of studies in the field in India.
Over the period, the department has expanded its programmes, content, infrastructure and facilities to such an extent that it became the first in the country to be recognised and funded under the Special Assistance Programme (SAP) of the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 1997.
Under the programme, a series of seminars and workshops are conducted annually to benefit library and information science professionals, scholars and students.
A two-day UGC-SAP symposium on digital library initiatives in India was organised by the department recently.
The symposium coincided with the golden jubilee celebrations of the department.
The symposium focussed on discussions and deliberations by eminent persons on the digital library initiatives at various libraries in the country. The objective was to help the participants understand the concept, design and development of a digital library and the success stories through the presentation of case studies of some of the completed and ongoing digitisation projects in India.
Tools and formats
The symposium tried to empower the participants with the confidence and skills necessary to build a digital library at their institutions and equip them to understand the many tools and formats, preservation, intellectual property rights and so on involved in the development and management of digital libraries.

source : http://www.hindu.com/edu/2011/02/01/stories/2011020150030100.htm