IIT Bhubaneswar plans to set up Marine campus somewhere near the coastline of Orissa , may be known as Centre of Climate Change

Source: The Hindu, 19.03.2010 , Bhubaneswar

Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar, has proposed to have a marine campus as part of its upcoming school of Earth, Ocean and Environment Science. “We propose to set up a school on Earth, Ocean and Environment science. As part of the school, we propose to set up a marine campus somewhere near the coastline of Orissa,” said IIT Bhubaneswar director Madhusudan Chakraborty here on Thursday.

Professor Chakraborty said, “we want this marine campus to focus on research and application-oriented technology development in key areas related to changed climate, sea level rise, extreme weather events, changing ecosystem, fishery development and wildlife, air quality and pollution, water shortage, human health and hydrological cycles.”

The marine campus could be known as centre of climate change, said IIT Bhubaneswar Director. University of Massachusetts, Dart Mouth and University of California, Santa Cruz are likely to be roped in for the proposed school.

The proposed school of IIT-Bhubaneswar might go for faculty and student exchange programmes with University of Massachusetts, Dart Mouth which is said to have such marine campus.

“We have just given a proposal to Orissa government. It is under consideration of the government. I have already constituted an academic advisory committee to work out details of the school,” Prof Chakraborty said.

IIT Bhubaneswar Director said the school assumed significance since Orissa had witnessed disasters like cyclone, flood, extreme weather events and rise in sea level for years now.

Pointing out the upcoming school would an inter-disciplinary one, he said subjects propose to be covered are geology, geophysics, oceanic sciences, atmospheric sciences, marine science, climate change, disaster mitigation and management. To begin with, the school will have 30 to 40 students.

Although the proposal was at very nascent stage, sources said students could shuttle between Bhubaneswar and marine campus.

IIT admissions

Main campus of IIT Bhubaneswar is coming up on land measuring around 1000 acres near Jatni, on the outskirts of capital city. IIT Bhubaneswar has established five schools, which encompass a number of disciplines. At present 234 students have taken admission in the IIT Bhubaneswar.

Prof. Chakraborty said besides Earth, Ocean and Environmental Science, IIT-Bhubaneswar would be having three new schools such as School of Mineral, Metallurgy and Material Engineering, School of Chemical Sciences and School of Designing and Creative Arts. The schools are likely to come up by 2011.