Five day conference on the future of nanotechnology and its scope in improving living concluded today at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Kashmir with experts from India and abroad presenting papers and delivering lectures.
The conference that started on 7 April was jointly organizedby National Institute of Technology Srinagar and Indian Institute of TechnologyKharagpur under the convenorship of Prof M A Shah -Special Centre forNanoscience, P.G Department of Physics at NIT Srinagar. During the five days,experts from various fields delivered lectures and presented papers on thetheme of ‘nanotechnology for better living’.
Prof M A Shah NITSrinagar, Prof Pallabh Benerjee head of material sciences IIT Kharagpur, ProfKholmurad Khasano from Moscow State University and Dr Saifullah Lone fromCollege of nanosciences Pusan Natinal University South Korea delievered talkson various aspects and applications of nanoscience.
Prof Fuad Shamsuddin from Kaula Lumpur University, ProfNarayan Ch Das from IIT Kharagpur and Prof Sajad Ahmed Lone from Jamia MilliaIslamia were the keynote speakers on the occasion.
Other renowned speakers included Prof Neeraj Khare from IITDelhi, Dr Dileep Kotilil from National University of Singapore, ProfVenkateshwara Rao from Center for Nanoscience and technology.
A number of speakers delved on the application ofnanotechnology to medical field. Papers were presented on application ofnanotechnology in treatment of cancers, tuberculosis and rheumatoid arthritis.In addition, speakers also discussed how nanogels have a utility in advanced healthcare applicationsand diagnostics also featured at the event.
Addressing the scholars and other attendees on thevaledictory function today, Prof Nazeer Ahmed, vice chancellor SKAUST impressedupon the need to continue the legacy of exploration and curiosity. “Science isgenerating knowledge, layer onto layer,” he said, adding that young scientistsneed to become contributors to a generation of knowledge and help in makinghuman lives better.
“When AIDS was incurable, I made a hypothesis that if humanDNA sequence can be replaced by rat sequence, which is not infected by HIV, wemay have a solution,” he said. “Now a better treatment has come by, but myhypothesis has added to the knowledge and that is our job as scientists.”
He appreciated Prof Shah, the organizing chairman of theconference for his efforts in making the conference a success and complimentedhim for being “lucky enough to mentor young minds”. Prof Shah said that theconference gave Kashmir a chance to get exposed to a treasure of science andgave the dignitaries an opportunity to explore Kashmir’s treasure of naturalbeauty and quest for excellence in sciences.
Prof Saifullah Lone, Ramajunan fellow at NIT Srinagar urgedthe young scientists attending the conference to use their “time, resources anddegrees properly”. The dignitaries lauded the “well organized conference” andthanked the organizers for the seamless events. Towards the end, poster awards,sponsored by SSM College of Engineering were given out.