The IIT Gandhinagar Story: Opportunities and Challenges in Building a World Class Institution

Prof. Sudhir Jain, IIT Gandhinagar Director (and Caltech alum!) is visiting Caltech on November 14th. OASIS and the Caltech Y are excited to host a talk and an informal discussion during his visit to campus.

The IIT Gandhinagar Story: Opportunities and Challenges in Building a World Class Institution
A conversation with Sudhir Jain
Tuesday, November 14th
4pm at the Morgan Library, Kerchkoff Lab (2nd floor)

Please RSVP at: https://www.facebook.com/events/152950895451014/?active_tab=discussion.  

Abstract:
This talk will contextualize several new and exciting initiatives currently being implemented in Indian higher education. It will focus specifically on developments at IIT Gandhinagar, one of India's newest and fastest growing institutes of higher education. Started less than a decade ago, IIT Gandhinagar has sought to establish itself as a centre of excellence in research, teaching, and community engagement. The talk will highlight some of the novel initiatives taken by the institute in its journey to revitalize and reimagine the scope and context of a modern engineering education.

The talk will also provide a good opportunity for those interested in a teaching and research career in India to gain a first hand perspective on new opportunities and possibilities for professional growth. As a quickly growing institute, IIT Gandhinagar is actively looking for outstanding and enthusiastic young faculty members not just in Engineering, but also in the Sciences and the Liberal Arts. IIT Gandhinagar also welcomes academics and industry veterans for shorter durations through its vibrant Visiting Faculty program. The talk will provide a window into various such opportunities, and the following discussion session will serve as a platform to discover ways to get engaged with the institute and contribute to it's bold vision.

About the speaker:
Sudhir K. Jain received his Bachelor of Engineering from University of Roorkee in 1979, Master of
Science from California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, USA in 1980, and Doctor of
Philosophy, also from Caltech, in 1983. He joined the Civil Engineering faculty at IIT Kanpur in 1984 and in June 2009 moved to IIT Gandhinagar as its first Director. At IITK, Professor Jain served in a number of administrative capacities including Head, Civil Engineering (2001-2003) and Dean, Resource Planning and Generation (2005-2008). He also set up the National Information Centre of Earthquake Engineering (NICEE) at IITK and developed the National Programme on Earthquake Engineering Education (NPEEE), supported by the Government of India. He was elected a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering in 2003 and currently serves as President of the International Association for Earthquake Engineering.