Bhubaneswar: Odisha Research Conclave (ORC)-2024, the state govt’s three-day research and innovation event, will commence on December 26 at Fakir Mohan University (FMU) in Balasore in association with the Odisha State Higher Education Council (OSHEC) of the higher education department.
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan will inaugurate the event in the presence of state counterpart, Suryabanshi Suraj, and other dignitaries.
As part of the three-day conclave, seven technical sessions, including four round table discussions, discussing research and innovation in state universities of Odisha will be conducted. The sessions will also focus on contemporary research in commerce and business management, research and development in science and technology for the higher education system, research and NEP 2020 and research and development for sustainable growth of industries.
Santosh Kumar Tripathy, vice-chancellor (VC) of FMU, said, “VCs of state public universities from Odisha will take part in the round table discussion to present their views on research and the requirement of research works during the present scenario.”
He added, “For the first time, ORC will conduct a round table at the conclave with the directors of 11 research institutes like the Institute of Physics, Institute of Life Sciences, CIFA, CIFRI and IMMT Bhubaneswar. They will present their papers on the requirement of research in science and technology.”
Keeping the need for NEP 2020 in mind, Tripathy said they have invited some industrialists to share their views on the industry’s need for research and development works. “We received 420 research papers from scholars and researchers working on different projects of govt and private agencies. Some researchers received funding from the Odisha University Research and Innovation Incentivization Plan (OURIIP) and Mukhyamantri Research and Innovation Fellowship Program (MRIP),” Tripathy added.
A poster presentation will also be held at the conclave where researchers, students, scholars and others will take part in the competition. As many as 30 jury members and subject experts will evaluate the posters. “The best poster presenter of each subject will be awarded. Students will also get awards for their achievements. We invited all state public universities and 14 of them gave consent to attend the conclave,” Tripathy added.
He said they will showcase the FMU’s research works like the horseshoe crab research centre and outreach programmes connecting the university with society during the conclave. An exhibition will be conducted at the event. “A stall will be opened at the programme venue to learn about successful Odia scientists and academicians of Odisha, doing research inside and outside the country. The conclave will be a centre for knowledge dissemination,” he added.
ORC, a govt of Odisha initiative, aims to create a vibrant research culture in the state public universities. It is a platform for the dissemination of knowledge through discussion among researchers and policymakers, official sources stated.