Off late, National Institute of Technology (Karnataka), Surathkal, is all set to protect the intellectual properties that have been originating in the institute. The Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) cell set up in the institute will formulate its policy soon and thereafter will exclusively look into patenting the ideas and new technologies of the faculty and students of the institute, said NITK Director Prof Swapan Bhattacharya. He was speaking to media persons in the backdrop of the 11th annual convocation held at NITK campus in Surathkal on Saturday.
Prof M B Saidutta, who is in-charge of the IPR Cell explained that already six patent applications have been sent. These are from Chemical Engineering, Electronics and Communications and Chemistry departments. More students and faculty are preparing for patenting their intellectual properties, he said. To a query, he said that it was found that some new ideas or technologies that were originated at NITK Surathkal and put in public domain were patented by some others elsewhere. Also, off late, it has been realised that most of the innovations developed here have commercially high significance but unfortunately not capitalised, said Saidutta.
He hinted that in many a cases, one’s ideas in public domain were patented by someone else.
MoU with Michigan University
Prof Swapan Bhattacharya briefed that as a part of the MoU NITK inked with Michigan State University, US, a host of facilities are made available. Conducting joint workshop in the field of fire safety construction technology is the significant one.
The executive Vice President of the Graduates School of Sciences and Technology, Michigan University, Prof Satish Udupa who was the chief guest of the convocation said that post 9/11, the US has been brain storming on research activities on constructing fire resistant buildings. It has been found that the collapsed twin buildings of World Trade Centre was hardly fire resistant.
Faculty exchange programme, sending under graduates of NITK to Michigan University on summer vacation with stipend, conducting joint research and development projects, organisation of international seminars, symposia at NITK are also planned as a part of MoU.
The director said that as per the MoU signed with Larson and Toubro (L&T), 30 students will be admitted in NITK out of which 15 will be L&T employees. All the study expenses will be borne by L&T and the company will also absorb them after the successful completion of the course.
‘Wait for delayed gratification’
The Executive Vice President of the Graduates School of Sciences and Technology, Michigan University, Prof Satish Udupa in his convocation address called upon students to overcome the temptation of instant gratification with delayed gratification. Instant gratification is for short term only. Delayed gratification will bring wonders in your professional and personal life.
He also exhorted students to do their bit to balance the bridge between have’s and have not’s. There is nothing as wrong like the notion that a single person can not make a difference in society, he pointed. Later, at press meet, Prof Udupa maintained that India has started focussing on research just five years back and it will take time to reap the benefits.
At the convocation programme, NITK Surathkal Chairman Sushil Chandra Tripathi, Dean (Administration) Prof Suman David, Registrar K Ravindranath among others also spoke.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DHNS / Surathkal – November 16th, 2013