Title : Collaborative excellence in basic science: Lessons from Vainu Bappu

Date and Time : Wednesday, 10 August 2022, 10:45 AM

Abstract : Since beginning of the new millennium, India has made policy changes and started to invest in many global R&D facilities for enabling scientists in basic research. Investments needed for mega science experimental research areas like high energy physics, astronomy etc. are beyond capacities of any one or a group of nation states. A new consortium model required for creating large and mega R&D infrastructure is emerging. Such models call for new research cultures which rely on shared passions and dissolution of personal identities into the causes of science. Competitive excellence is the current prevailing norm in research. Vain Bappu showcased the benefits of global citizenry and collaborative models even in passion driven basic research in astronomy. An attempt will be made to highlight the cultural changes required for collaborative excellence models for gaining returns from investments made by India in some emerging facilities including MT drawing lessons from the work of Vainu Bappu.