Giving Back to the Department
When the 1965 B.E. ET, ECE batch were planning their golden jubilee reunion last year, they came up with the idea of raising funds to contribute to students’ needs. Discussions with the ECE and EE department chairmen led them to realize that travel to international conferences was one of the biggest challenges that research students currently face.
“Students get Rs. 1 lakh for the entire duration of their research for travel. This is nothing; not even enough for one international conference,” says Prof. KVS Hari, ECE Chairperson.
The alumni then raised Rs. 3.2 lakhs to help kick-start the ECE Alumni Research Fund for Students, to support students towards travel and research contingencies. In order to make the fund sustainable, Hari plans to encourage department alumni to contribute to the fund at golden and silver jubilee reunions every year.
If we are an international institution, there should be free exchange of scholars across. Students should travel [to conferences], because they can initiate networks that will be helpful for the rest of their lives. That connection with your peer group at a young age is very important because whatever network you form during your PhD is very critical for the rest of your academic and R&D career.
“If the fund grows, we will be to support more students and even think of expanding the support amount,” he says.