IIT Bhubaneswar hosted the International Conference on Thought, Perception and Reality (ICTPR 2025), organised by the School of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Management in collaboration with the Bhaktivedanta Institute.
Distinguished Guests
The inaugural session featured Prof. Andrew Briggs, Emeritus Professor of Nanomaterials, University of Oxford, as Chief Guest. Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, Padma Shri Awardee and former Chair of AIIMS Delhi, joined as the Guest of Honour. Prof. Shreepad Karmalkar, Director of IIT Bhubaneswar, and Shri Vasudeva Rao, President of the Bhaktivedanta Institute, Kolkata, also addressed the gathering.
Prof. Karmalkar welcomed participants and highlighted the institution’s strength in discipline, research rigour, and integrity. He emphasised that leadership must align institutional reality with shared perception through high standards and transparent feedback.
Intellectual Reflections
Prof. Briggs explored the relationship between perception and reality, drawing insights from quantum theory. He explained how subjective choices influence objective reality and connected scientific knowledge with spiritual wisdom. He also raised questions about values guiding artificial intelligence and the possibility of moral reality.
Prof. Mahapatra emphasised the importance of consciousness studies and ethical responsibility. He noted that medical professionals trained in public institutions must serve society with reflective thinking and commitment.
Shri Vasudeva Rao presented the vision of the Bhaktivedanta Institute. He stressed the intersection of science, philosophy, and spirituality, invoking Maurice Merleau-Ponty to show that science without philosophy lacks clarity. He called for an integrative approach to understanding consciousness.
Conference Highlights
Dr Sreetama Misra and Dr Aparna Pandey of IIT Bhubaneswar, along with Shri Jitun Dhal of the Bhaktivedanta Institute, convened the conference. The Book of Abstracts was released during the inaugural ceremony. ICTPR 2025 will continue for two days, fostering dialogue between philosophy, science, and consciousness studies. The event reaffirms IIT Bhubaneswar’s commitment to interdisciplinary research and global intellectual exchange.
