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‘Education of women matters’

BHUBANESWAR: Education in science and technology was probably the most important base for any community or country, said Nobel laureate in medicine Rolf. M. Zinkernagel at the third annual convocation of KIIT University here on Sunday.

Prof. Zinkernagel said his home country Switzerland was a poor agricultural society 200 years ago, but education had played a pivotal role in making a difference. Education could bring about similar transformation in Orissa too, he said.

Delivering his address on `Does science and technology education matter to the public,” Prof Zinkernagel emphasised education of women saying if girls and young women were educated, the rest would follow.

Prof. Zinkernagel’s discovery on the specificity of cell mediated immune defence led to a foundation for the understanding of the general mechanisms of the cellular immune systems. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1996 for this work.

Speaking to graduating students of the university, Hans Hengartner from the faculty of Medicine University of Zurich said while long-term research added to the knowledge, short-term translation of such knowledge into practical technology was equally important.

In his address, J. Martin Hunter, Professor of International Dispute Resolution, Nottingham Law School, UK, pointed out that India as the world’s most populous free society had been in the forefront of the development of the Rule of Law. Establishment of a law faculty at KIIT University provides an appropriate opportunity to emphasise the importance of law in the context of the wider 21st Century educational aspirations, he said.

In his presidential address, KIIT University Chancellor A. Samanta congratulated the graduating students and reminded them of their responsibility towards the society.

A total of 1206 students received degrees at the convocation ceremony. They include 503 from BTech, 142 from MCA, 456 from MBA, 34 from MBA (Executive) and 71 from MTech disciplines.

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