By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 15 Dec: UPES recently hosted the 38th National Symposium on Plasma Science & Technology, PLASMA-2023, in association with the Plasma Science Society of India (PSSI). The four-day event served as a dynamic interdisciplinary platform that brought together scientists, technologists, academicians and researchers to collaborate and share insights on Plasma Science and technology.
The event drew more than 300 participants, including researchers, academicians and scientists from across the country. The conference began with an online address by Shashank Chaturvedi, Director of the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) and Chairman of the conference. Several distinguished scientists from institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and the University of California delivered engaging talks on diverse subjects, including Fundamental Plasma, High-Temperature Plasma, Stimulated Plasma, Plasma Applications, and more.
The highlight of the conference was the keynote address delivered by Prof Shishir Deshpande, Senior Professor, IPR and Former Director, International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER-India) on the topic ‘Charting the Indian Fusion Roadmap: Science, Technology, and Business Opportunities’. Additionally, Dr Ram Sharma, Vice Chancellor, UPES, highlighted the university’s research efforts and emphasised the integration of research into the teaching curriculum.
Recognising significant contributions by plasma science and technology researchers, the event also served as a dynamic blend of enlightening presentations and a prestigious award ceremony. Distinguished awards such as the Buti Young Scientist Award (BYSA), accompanied by a cash prize of Rs 10,000 were presented to Pallab Boro from JNU, Delhi, and Tirtha Mandal from Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore, for their outstanding talks. Further, Dr Amreen Ara Hussain, Scientific Officer-D at the Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar, received the prestigious Parvez Guzdar Award, along with a cash prize of Rs 50,000, in recognition of her ground-breaking contributions to hybrid materials, optoelectronic devices, and plasma technologies.
UPES also organised an excursion for the conference participants to scenic locations in Uttarakhand such as Rishikesh, Mussoorie, and more.
