Training Young Minds for Nanoscience and Technology: Issues and Challenges
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Training Young Minds for Nanoscience and Technology: Issues and Challenges Kamanio Chattopadhyay Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, 560012, India Abstract
This article explores issues and challenges in the field of education in nanoscience and technology with special emphasis with respect to India, where an expanding programme of research in nano science and technology is in place. The article does not concentrate on actual curricula that are needed in nano science and technology education course. Rather it focuses on the desirability of nanoscience and technology education at different levels of education and future prospect of students venturing into this within the economic and cultural milieu of India. We argue that care is needed in developing the education programme in India. However, the risk is worth taking as the education on nanoscience and technology can bridge the man power gap not only in this area of technology but also related technologies of hardware and micro electronics for which the country is a promising destination at global level. This will also unlock the demographical advantage that India will enjoy in the next five decades.
With the rise in expectation from nanoscience and technology and the large funding that is flowing world wide in this area, the requirement of manpower and the educational issues are increasingly becoming important all over the world. However, in order to address these issues one need to remember that there is a significant variation both in the context as well as in the assessment of these issues depending on the educational and the cultural strength of the country and state of it’s economy and industry. Even the educational system of different countries can have significant variations. In this article we shall analyse the situation and discuss few relevant issues in the context of India where a significant programme on Nanoscience and Technology is currently in place. A structured programme in Nanoscience and Technology was initiated in 2001 through a generous funding from Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Steered by Professor C.N.R.Rao, the emphasis in the first phase was to develop the infrastructure. The funding committee correctly realized that unlike many other disciplines, the infrastructural needs of nano science and technology have to be addressed at the front end and
not latter as an evolutionary process. Call for individual research projects and their funding have been implemented from the year 2005 resulting in a significant spread of interest and growth of active young researchers in this area. As an example recent conference on Nano materials that will be held in August 2005 has attracted 250 student delegates in spite of very stringent criterion for selection. In order to emphasize team building, five centers of Nanoscience initially have been created linking major educational institutions. This is followed by a similar initiative in the area of nanotechnology. Other funding agencies also started n
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