Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras launched the 'Prof. Subra Suresh Institute Lecture Series' at Bengaluru today, on January 4. The lecture series was launched in honour of one of its most illustrious alumni Prof. Subra Suresh, a Distinguished Alumnus Awardee (1997) and currently a Distinguished University Professor and President of the prestigious Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
The new lecture series was made possible after donation from another illustrious alumnus of IIT Madras, Mr. Senapathy 'Kris' Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of Axilor Ventures, Bengaluru, and co-founder of Infosys.
Prof. Subra Suresh is a former Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation, a former Dean of Engineering and Vannevar Bush Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and former President of Carnegie Mellon University. He is the first IIT alumnus and India-born academic to be appointed to these leadership positions.
Director of IIT Madras, Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, said that the lecture series will place the spotlight on academic excellence and creativity - two hallmarks of any great academic institution.
Prof. Subra Suresh Institute Lecture Series will bring leading international scholars, engineers and scientists to IIT Madras on a periodic basis, up to twice every year, to discuss key advances in scientific discoveries and technological innovation. The inaugural lecture in this semi-annual lecture series is planned for October 2020 at the IIT Madras campus.
Speaking about this lecture series established in his name, Prof. Subra Suresh said that he was honoured and humbled by establishment of a lecture series in his name by his alma mater. He also thanked Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan for his generosity and contribution in establishing the lecture series.
Prof. Suresh's research has focused on the properties of engineered and biological materials and their implications for human diseases. He has authored more than 300 research articles and 30 patent applications and co-founded a technology startup.
An elected member of all three branches of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, of Engineering, and of Medicine as well as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Inventors, Prof. Suresh is also elected to all the major science and engineering academies in India.
In announcing the gift to establish this Institute Lecture Series, Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan said: "Prof Subra Suresh continues to inspire students and researchers around the world with his contributions to the fields of education and research. He is also a great leader and administrator, having held leadership positions in academia and government. Since he is an alumnus of IIT Madras, it is only appropriate that we create this lecture series to celebrate his contributions as well as strengthen his bonds with his alma mater".
Prof. Subra Suresh has also been elected a foreign member of science and/or engineering academies in China, France, Germany, Singapore, Spain and Sweden, and awarded 18 honorary doctorate degrees from institutions in China, Greece, India, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States. His honours include the Padma Shri from the President of India; the Benjamin Franklin Medal of the Franklin Institute; the European Materials Medal from the Federation of European Materials Societies; and the Timoshenko and Nadai Medals of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Prof. Subra Suresh Institute Lecture Series will also serve as an institute-wide forum for connecting global thought leaders with students, faculty and staff at IIT Madras to discuss topics of industrial importance and societal significance.
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