International GIAN Workshop on Innovation and Technology Transfer Begins at Panjab University
A five-day International Workshop under the Government of India’s Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) scheme, supported by the Ministry of Education, commenced today at Panjab University on the theme “Innovation Capitalized: Harnessing Licensing, Technology Transfer, and Product Expansion for Success.”
City Air News
Sep 15, 2025 07:41
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Chandigarh, September 15, 2025: A five-day International Workshop under the Government of India’s Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) scheme, supported by the Ministry of Education, commenced today at Panjab University on the theme “Innovation Capitalized: Harnessing Licensing, Technology Transfer, and Product Expansion for Success.”
The workshop brings together nearly 80 participants to explore how research can move beyond publications into patents, licensing, and real-world product development. Through interactive sessions, tutorials, and group projects, participants will learn the complete journey from IP generation to technology translation—critical for building innovations that impact society, much like smart devices and life-saving drugs do in daily life.
Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Defence Services Welfare, Government of Punjab, Mr. J. M. Balamurugan inaugurated the program as the Chief Guest. He emphasised that research must ultimately benefit society and highlighted the importance of collaboration among stakeholders. He added, “The pursuit of all research should be human happiness,” and invoked the pale blue dot concept to underline the humility of human existence.
PU Dean of University Instruction Prof. Yojna Rawat presided over the inaugural session and urged scholars to shift from publishing research to filing patents and forging industry linkages.
Prof. Anil Kumar, Chairperson, UIPS, in his welcome address, noted that UIPS already has 12 technologies and 9 products in the market. Prof. Gurjaspreet Singh, Local Coordinator, shared that nearly 50 GIAN programs have been conducted at PU since 2016, with the current workshop under Phase IV and Phase V calls now open.
Host faculty Prof. Indu Pal Kaur, Dean, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences; DPIIT–IPR Chair; and Professor of Pharmaceutics, UIPS, introduced the program and welcomed the foreign faculty, Prof. Sanjay Garg, School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Adelaide (Australia), and Co-Director of the Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation (CPI).
Prof. Garg, a distinguished scientist with over 100 patents, 270 publications, and groundbreaking innovations such as the FDA-approved non-hormonal contraceptive Phexxi, will guide the workshop.
On the opening day, Prof. Garg delivered sessions on the foundations of innovation and intellectual property, along with a tutorial on patent search. Participants also engaged in interactive exercises, forming groups to brainstorm novel ideas they will refine over the five days into potential technologies ready for translation.
