The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : ‘Lab to land’ to encourage researchers

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Friday, Oct 30, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

‘Lab to land’ to encourage researchers

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Too much of the money granted for research and development goes into producing PhDs; too little is spent on inventing products and services that actually benefit the common man, according to the University of Madras Vice-Chancellor, G. Thiruvasagam.

In order to encourage those researchers, who work to find solutions for society’s problems, Dr. Thiruvasagam has announced a new ‘Lab to Land’ programme.

“Any department in our university engaged in a project, which has confidence and some evidence, that it can come up with a product or service of benefit to society, will be granted Rs. 5 lakh,” he said. “Any teacher or researcher in charge will be given Rs. 1 lakh once the product is actually developed…The work of the lab must be beneficial to the people of the land.”

Such a scheme would encourage faculty who are doing such research currently, he said, commending the practically-oriented work of several science departments at the University’s Guindy campus.

While government departments often spend crore rupees investing in university research, “most of the money is invested in equipment, or given out in the name of stipends. The benefit should not be restricted to helping Ph.Ds and M.Phils alone,” he said. “The outcomes should help the community.

There should be rickshaw pullers who can say that ‘my life has been made better because of this university’,” he said, adding that the public must feel it has a stake in higher education and research.

The scheme would also be extended to the University’s affiliated colleges in a phased manner, he said.

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