Alumni of Jadavpur University department raise Rs 46 lakh to support academic, research activities

KOLKATA: The alumni of Jadavpur University's chemical engineering department, on the occasion of its centenary celebrations, have raised a corpus of Rs 46 lakh for expanding its infrastructure and supporting research activities, pro-vice chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharya said.

Bhattacharya, himself a former student of the department, noted that its alumni have always played a significant role in establishing industry-academia connect, thus helping the students as well as the researchers.

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"Several members of the alumni have separately contributed to our department, totaling Rs 46 lakh. This amount would be of immense help for supporting academic and research projects," he maintained.

One of the alumni, Ravi Prasad, who is associated with a leading MNC in UAE and belongs to the early 70s batch, has alone contributed Rs 31 lakh to the 102-year-old department to procure a chemical reactor, the pro-VC said.

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The department had been seeking to raise funds as its coffers dried up in the past three years due to decreased allocation of central and state funds, Bhattarcharya explained. He said that the COVID-19 pandemic deferred the centenary celebrations by two years.

"The three-day event, 'Chemervescence' -- from February 25 to 27 – is aimed at facilitating alumni-student connection. The programme is being live streamed on YouTube," he explained. Padma Vibhushan M M Sharma, the former director of Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), and Padma Shri Professor G D Yadav, the ex-vice chancellor of ICT, had attended the inaugural day function as guests of honour.

Yadav said chemical engineers have a bright future with several sectors, including pharma industry, food processing, edible oil, textile, coal and refinery, seeking their services. Much before the university came into being, the chemical engineering department was set up in 1921 as part of a nationalist movement to impart scientific education to student. It sought to educate and empower youth who could confront the colonisers. The department merged with Jadavpur University in the later part of the century.