SRM, The Hindu hold webinar on 'Post COVID'

SRM University AP, Andhra Pradesh, in association with The Hindu, organised the webinar to rethink the strategies for nurturing a scientific landscape in the post COVID situation. The webinar was chaired by Bharat Ratna Prof. CNR Rao, Linus Pauling Research Professor at JNCASR, Bangalore. Prof. Asuthosh Sharma, Secretary to Government of India, Department of Science & Technology (DST), Dr. S. Chandra Sekhar, Director, CSIR – Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad and Dr. Shashi Bala Singh, Director, NIPER, Hyderabad were the invited speakers. Prof. D. Narayana Rao, Pro Vice-Chancellor of SRM University – AP has initiated this webinar and was the moderator and Convener for the Webinar.

Prof. D. Narayana Rao expressed his gratitude to the prolific visionaries and scientists for being the panelists for the webinar and welcomed them heartily. In his opening speech, he emphasized the dire need for international collaborations. He further says, "India could definitely consider this as a potential opportunity and the Scientists, Technologists, Engineers, Bureaucrats and Policy Makers can reinvent the ways of doing research on Science & Technology. Breaking silos and collaboration among various sectors of Indian industries and academia to find solutions is crucial." Prof. Rao also informed that CSIR Laboratories and outfits like BIRAC has built a strong bioscience foundation with a robust and start-up corporate base. He ardently believes that in a way COVID-19 Pandemic crises have catalyzed India and its Scientific Community.