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NATURAL SCIENCES

First meeting of the Board of Governors for the Regional Centre for Biotechnology Education and Training in India

First meeting of the Board of Governors for the Regional Centre for Biotechnology Education and Training in India
  • © UNESCO/Lucy Hoareau
  • First meeting of the Board of Governors convened in New Delhi

The First Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Regional Centre for Biotechnology Education and Training in India was held in Gulmohar Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on 26th February 2009. This was hosted by the Government of India and was organized by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology, India.

UNESCO and the Government of India signed an agreement in New Delhi, India, on 14 July 2006 for the establishment of a Regional Centre for Biotechnology Training and Education in India, as a category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO following the approval of this proposal at the 33rd session of UNESCO’s General Conference. The Regional Centre will combine teaching and research with a strong focus on capacity building and it is envisaged it will provide advanced biotechnology training and research opportunities for scientists throughout Asia.

The meeting of the Board of Governors follows on from a consultative meeting of experts held in New Delhi in 2007 which provided an opportunity for consulting with experts from the scientific community both at the regional and international level in order to define existing areas of expertise and the priority focus for the Centre as well as the basic working structure and potential for start up activities within existing structures in collaboration with international partners.

The opening session of the Board of Governors meeting included interventions by Mr Marcio Barbosa, Deputy Director-General, UNESCO, H.E. Mrs Bhaswati Mukherjee, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of India to UNESCO, Prof M.K. Bhan, Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology, Mr Maciej Nalecz, Director, Division of Basic and Engineering Sciences, UNESCO and Dr. D.M. Salunke, Deputy Director, National Institute of Immunology and who currently holds the interim responsibility for the Regional Centre. The Honorable Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Science and Technology and Ocean Development, made an unexpected appearance and addressed the assembly briefly.

biotechnology.jpg

The major points raised at the meeting were:

  • The Government of India has approved a bill on the creation of this Centre and has now confirmed a budget for its development.
  • Some facilities have been leased in Faridabad, India to serve as a temporary location for the start up phase and will provide some 2,230 square meters for development of research and required teaching facilities. 
  • The vision of the DBT to develop a cluster of 3 Centres forming a science and technology platform, working in synergy and sharing some core facilities or research resource units. This cluster would include a Translational Centre, a Health Science Technology Centre, together forming the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, and which will provide a multidisciplinary approach to technology transfer and enterprise creation, pre-clinical and clinical product development in partnership with stakeholders like industry, and the Regional Centre which will be a degree-granting entity providing facilities for advanced research, education and training in biotechnology.
  • The need to broaden the scope of the Regional Centre to include other member States in the Region thus making it truly regional.
  • The need for greater emphasis on interdisciplinarity of the Regional Centre’s approach and activities especially in view of the recent review of UNESCO’s science programmes. · The importance and potential benefit of networking and interaction with other Category 2 centres as well as other centres of excellence UNESCO collaborates with within the framework of the International Basic Sciences Programme (IBSP).
  • It was noted that the advantage of UNESCO’s involvement would allow for greater flexibility and freedom to experiment and innovate especially with the current academic system and curricula.

 

The future:

Within the next months, it is expected that the post of Director for this Centre will be filled. The post was advertised in June 2008 in national journals as well as few international scientific journals like Nature. The process of shortlisting is ongoing.

Similarly, the operational guidelines for the Executive Committee and the Programme Advisory Committee as well as the Terms of Reference for these will be finalized and these entities established.

The Government of India has agreed to earmark several slots for the participation of scientists from the region, in training activities in India. In this context, it is envisaged that a number of fellowships and PhD placements will be made available during 2009 for students from the region, and that a year-long science finishing school programme will also be initiated during this time. In 2010 will begin the establishment of a series of masters’ programmes in areas such as bioengineering, bioinformatics and drug discovery science, as well as other training initiatives.

UNESCO is expected to assist in facilitating contact with Member States in the Region and with international collaboration with its partners.

For more information please contact: Ms Lucy Hoareau, Programme Specialists, SC/BES, UNESCO HQ.

  • 16-03-2009
  • © DBT/Salunke Dinakar - M. Barbosa opening the BOG session, 2009
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