ALUMNI
1983 Batch Alumni Prof BS Sonde Chair Professorship
1983 IISc Alumni Batch • EECS division • Ongoing
About
The 1980-83 Bachelor of Engineering (BE) batch of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has made history by establishing the first-ever Chair Professorship funded by a batch of alumni. The 1983 Batch Alumni Prof BS Sonde Chair has been established to promote excellence in the EECS division at IISc, honoring the distinguished academic contributions of Professor B. S. Sonde. The Chair position is be supported through an endowment of Rs. 3.15 crores, generously contributed by this cohort.
The cohort has also come together to set up a fund to aid in travel support for students from the metallurgy department. Such opportunities would allow them to stay in touch with research trends, gain a deeper understanding of their field of interest, and build fruitful collaborations with leading researchers worldwide.
Driven by their deep connection to the Institute and the lasting bonds formed during their time at IISc, batch members S. Raghupathy, V. R. Govindarajan, and Ashok Waran spearheaded this initiative on behalf of the batch. The family of Prof Sonde expressed deep appreciation of this kind gesture by the alumni to link this position in his name. The Office of Development and Alumni Affairs at IISc wishes to thank everyone involved in this noble initiative.
Nomination Procedure
- The Chair would be awarded to a nominated faculty member with stellar performance. The selection committee for this purpose will be a national level committee that will be headed by a Divisional Chair and will include two distinguished experts external to IISc. Each term of the award is of three years duration. Additional terms could be awarded (in exceptional cases) to the same candidate faculty (if the faculty member gets nominated again) based on the recommendation of the selection committee.
- The nominator should be a Full Professor at the Institute.
- It will be awarded to a Professor in the EECS division.
ln case of no suitable candidates found by the selection committee at the Professor level, fresh applications will be invited from Associate Professors with a minimum of three years of service. The quantum of support in this case will be lower for the entire term of the position.
Benefits
- The selected incumbent will occupy the Chair for a period of three years. A monthly top-up salary and an annual research grant will be provided, with the quantum of support being proportional to the faculty’s position.
- The Chair Associate Professor/Professor will be required to submit a brief annual report to the Director, IISc on the research activities conducted with the financial support received.