Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

AU signs MoU with DRDO

Special Correspondent

The research organisation gives two projects to the varsity

FOCUS ON RESEARCH: Andhra University Vice-Chancellor L. Venugopal Reddy and DRDO Chief Controller (R and D) A. Sivathanu Pillai exchanging documents in Visakhapatnam on Friday.

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) considers universities incubators of technology and is encouraging them to come out with good research projects, said distinguished scientist and Chief Controller of DRDO A. Sivathanu Pillai here on Friday.

"Any technology the DRDO is proud of is not its alone. We have seen the strength of our universities (through their research projects)," observed Dr. Pillai while addressing a meeting after the DRDO and Andhra University signed an MoU on joint research in nano technology, hydrodynamics, naval architecture, acoustics and structures.

The MoU was signed by AU Vice-Chancellor L. Venugopal Reddy and Dr. Pillai in the presence of Director of Naval Science and Technological Laboratory V. Bhujanga Rao, Director of Combat Vehicles Research and Development (Avadi) D. Sundaresan and Director of Naval R and D in DRDO Ratnakar Bhushan, Registrar of AU P. Vijaya Prakash, and others.

Major research

Andhra University too would be involved in the unmanned underwater vehicles, an important project on which DRDO was planning major research, Dr. Pillai said. To start with, the DRDO had given two projects -- development of nano ceramic coating for marine stealth application (to increase the strength of the ship and also reduce its visibility in identification by the enemy) and development of nano lithium ion batteries to Andhra University.

The MoU with Andhra University provided a lot of flexibility in sending funds meant for naval R and D. The funds could be sent directly now and the initiative must come from the university and the DRDO would certainly help in its projects, Dr. Pillai assured. Andhra University faculty could visit the DRDO labs and there was no restriction on the number of projects to be taken up.

DRDO would work with AU on the autonomous vehicles (both ground and underwater types) and set up a nano-lab in the campus.

Prof. Reddy thanked Dr. Pillai and the DRDO for evincing a keen interest in the development of AU. The M.Sc. (nano sciences) and M. Tech (nano technology) programmes were introduced with the help of DRDO. Changes suggested by representatives of DRDO had been incorporated in the syllabus of the courses and this must make the courses acceptable to the industry and academicia, he said.

Fellowships

Commodore Bhushan said that the Naval Research Board had recently announced fellowships for PG students and the Andhra University students too could take up small projects under this programme.

A senior professor of AU College of Engineering P.S.N. Raju and a scientist from DRDO Venkateswara Rao would act as coordinators for the programmes under the MoU.

Principals of campus colleges R. Venkata Rao, J.V. Prabhakara Rao, several senior professors of AU, senior officials of DRDO and others were present.

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