India to host Asian Science Camp from August 10

In an effort to promote international scientific cooperation among future generation through interaction with top global scientists, India will host the three-day Asian Science Camp (ASC) from August 10.

The camp will be attended by around 185 students and 30 teachers from 20 countries, Director of Homi Bhabha Centre for
Science Education (HBCSE) and organiser of the camp, Dr HC
Pradhan told media today.

"We are expecting a large contingent of students from Japan and China," he said, adding that students from Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand, Honkong, Egypt, New Zealand, Kazakhstan, Israel and Republic of Korea are also participating.

Twenty volunteer students from India who could not be selected as participants will also attend the camp, Pradhan said.

"This is for the first time India will be hosting the ASC and this is fourth in the series. The highlight of this ASC is that we have included Biology besides Physics and Chemistry," Dr Mustansir Barma, director, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) said.

Earlier meetings held in Taipei (2007), Bali (2008) and Ibaraki, Japan (2009) had only Physics and Chemistry, he said.

Last year in Japan, Principal Scientific Advisor to government of India Dr R Chidambaram had suggested about inclusion of Biology which is an integral part of science, Barma said.

TIFR is the local host and the ASC will be held at Vashi in Navi Mumbai, Barma said.

Eleven world renowned scientists from India and abroad, including Nobel Laureates Prof. Richard R Ernst (Switzerland)
and Prof. Makoto Kobayashi (Japan) will be the resource
persons of the camp.

Other resource persons include Dr D Balasubramanian, director of Research, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, Jainendra Jain, Pennsylvania State University, Paul Matsudaira, Singapore National University, Martin Poliakoff, University of Nottingham and TV Ramakrishnan, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

The ASC's main aim is to enlighten students mostly from first and second year of graduation and few from class 12 by way of interaction with top global scientists and listening to their personal evolution, Pradhan said.

The camp will have plenary lectures followed by interactions, five parallel sessions with leaders to inspire students and a creative poster competition.

In order to expose other students who cannot participate in the camp, there will be three public lectures-two at the University of Mumbai and one at Institute of Chemical Technology, he said.

Dr T Ramasami, secretary , department of science and technology, chairman, Atomic Energy commission Dr Srikumar
Banerjee, DR CNR Rao, chairman, Science Advisory Council to
the prime minister MR Chidambaram, principal scientific advisor, government of India will be present at the inauguration of the camp, Pradhan said.