Rourkela: The Department of Ceramic Engineering at National Institute of Technology Rourkela is hosting scientists from the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) for a month to train them on various fundamental and applied aspects of ceramics.
This is a unique international program where an overseas scientific agency, such as BCSIR, has sought the help of NIT Rourkela to assist and update their scientific staff on modern technologies and methods and build their national capacity in scientific and industrial research. 8 scientists, including 3 women, led by Dr Shirin Akter Jahan (Principal Scientific Officer, BCSIR) are undergoing the training program sponsored by BCSIR.
Over the next few weeks, they will be trained on materials processing methods, properties, advanced characterization tools, and their applications. They have exhibited interest in working with ceramic building materials, energy and environmental materials, electronic and magnetic materials, materials for waste management, and glasses. Prof Debasish Sarkar (Head of Ceramic Engineering Department) has expressed his pleasure that the subject expertise of the departmental faculty is being recognized internationally. Prof K. Umamaheshwar Rao (Director, NIT Rourkela) said, “NIT Rourkela has set a benchmark in research and knowledge outreach with this initiative and that more such programs should be conducted in other fields of science and engineering.”
The Department of Ceramic Engineering runs BTech, MTech, and PhD programs, and conducts research in materials including, refractories, glasses, bioceramics, structural ceramics, nanostructured materials and hybrids, energy and environmental materials. NIT Rourkela only has the specialized ceramics department among all NITs. IIT BHU is the only other institute of national importance that has a specialized ceramics program.