International Workshop under GIAN starts at PU

Chandigarh, August 1, 2016: A week long International Workshop on “Heterogeneous Catalysis and Applications” today started at Department of CIL/SAIF/UCIM, Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh. The prestigious International Workshop is being organized under Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) scheme and under aegis of Chandigarh Region Innovation and Knowledge Cluster (CRIKC) from August 1, 2016 to August 5, 2016.
GIAN scheme is an initiative of Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD), Government of India to provide an opportunity to teaching fraternity as well students of institute of higher learning nationwide to learn and share knowledge with experts from global academic institutions and industries. The academic programs will not only develop high quality learning/ research material in the niche area's to larger body of students and teaching fraternity but will provide a platform to have an effective collaborative teaching/ research programs founded on traditional and modern scientific methodology.
As many as 50 participants, mainly researchers and scientists of various academic institutes and industries are participating in the workshop. The participants were seen highly enthusiastic for learning about the heterogeneous catalysis and its applications in industrial processes.
Director, SAIF/CIL and Local Coordinator, GIAN at PU Chandigarh Prof. S. K. Mehta delivered the welcome address. He explained the concept of GIAN and the role of PU to increase the footfalls of reputed international faculty in the Indian academic institutes and provide opportunity to our faculty to learn and share knowledge and teaching skills in cutting edge areas.
Addressing the workshop, PU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Arun Kumar Grover emphasized that such workshops should be promoted and all the institutes/colleges of the region should be encouraged to be a part of such intellectual international programs. He further deliberated on the historical outcomes of such events and appreciated the vision of Government of India for initiating and supporting PU to host such events under GIAN.
In his inaugural address, Director, IISER, Mohali Prof N Sathyamurthy emphasized on the need for such academic programs on current scientific issues. He congratulated the organizers for holding the program on a very important topic of heterogeneous catalysis.
Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, University of Hull, UK and the foreign faculty for the event Dr. Alex Ibhadon appreciated the importance of such interactive workshops to sensitize the young research scholars and faculty.
Coordinator of this International workshop Prof. Sushil Kumar Kansal briefed the audience about the course contents and the significance of this workshop. He also delivered vote of thanks to the dignitaries and the participants.
The primary objectives of the workshop are to introduce the participants to the various types of new catalytic materials and process chemistries that are needed to achieve safer chemical processing and future sustainability in a wide range of applications, from the chemical industry to environmental remediation.
Heterogeneous catalysts are needed in a variety of applications especially in the chemical and refining industries and are indispensable in fine chemical synthesis, selective hydrogenations, automotive exhaust treatment, industrial effluent and municipal waste treatment, technological developments in fuel cells, and pollution abatement technologies. The course will cover scientific and technological breakthroughs in the development of novel concepts in hybrid materials design for heterogeneous catalysis.
Meanwhile, Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh has announced the results of M.Ed. (Guidance & Counselling), 1st Semester; B. Architecture, 10th Semester and M.Sc. (H.S.) Geology, 4th Semester. The detailed results would be available on PU website http://results.puchd.ac.in/.