IIT-GN to acquaint Caltech students with Indian research

Updated on: Monday, October 31, 2011

In order to acquaint students of the US-based California Institute of Technology with ancient and contemporary research in India, the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IIT-GN) has specially designed a two-week long course titled 'India-Ki-Khoj'.

Ten students of the California institute (Caltech) shall be visiting IIT-GN in December as part of a student exchange programme.

"The idea of India-Ki-Khoj is to introduce students of a foreign university Caltech with some of the rich cultural heritage, social, economic, ancient and contemporary research of India," IIT-GN Director Prof S K Jain said.

"The course content has been carefully lined up, so that, students of Caltech visiting in December this year, get to learn about ancient science and technology of India," he said.

"How India's gift of concept zero to the world has laid a basis for all arithmetic calculations, besides contributions of Acharyas like Charaka and Sushruta, who were founders in the fields of medicine and surgery respectively," Jain said, referring to the unique course content.

Charaka is said to be the first physician to have presented the concept of digestion, metabolism and immunity, while Sushruta was an ancient Indian surgeon, who is also at times called the 'Father of Indian Surgery', he said.

The Caltech students, with their counterparts here, shall be acquainted with the rich heritage of India in perse sectors like science, technology, economic, cultural and social.

As part of an exchange programme, IIT-GN students had visited Caltech to undertake research projects. However, Caltech students were unable to come here due to lack of any such similar facility.

"So far, our students were visiting Caltech to pursue research projects, but now, the students of the foreign university shall visit in December this year for a two week course, as they now have a purpose," Jain said.

The institute has also planned trips to some ancient sites in Gujarat, like Dholavira, to provide a first-hand experience of the rich heritage of India to the visiting foreign university students here.

"Last year in summers, three of our students had visited Caltech to pursue research projects, around eight students shall be going to the varsity in next summer for their research projects," Jain said, referring to the strengthening bond of IIT-GN with Caltech.

The foreign students brush with the India's ancient research will help propagate the rich past as well as India's contribution to the world in sectors like science, technology, ayurveda, economics... he said.

IIT-GN to acquaint Caltech students with Indian research

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