Shoolini University’s Asst Prof & research scholar Ms Radha has been awarded the ‘Young Scientist Award’. She was at an international conference held at Jawaharlal Nehru University. Ms Radha also bagged the ‘Young Woman Scientist’ award last year.
Sharing about her research work, she said her favourite subject is Ethnobotanical, a study of local customs involving the practical uses of local flora for many aspects of life, such as plants and medicines, food and intoxicants. She wants to explore the unexplored area of the Western Himalayas and to carry out studies of wild medicinal plants for scientific research.
Ms Radha, Assistant Professor and research scholar
She has explored several untouched areas of Kinnaur up to the height of 4,000 meters. In fact, she has travelled all the way from the high altitudes of Chitkul, Rakchham, Batseri, Sangla, Kamru to the mid altitudes of Churdhar wildlife sanctuary, Chopal forest division to lower altitudes of Renuka and Paonta Sahib during her research project.
The winner of the Young Scientist Award thanked her guide Dr Sunil Puri (Dean of Academic cum Registrar), Prof PK Khosla (Vice-Chancellor) and Prof Adesh Saini for providing her moral support system. She said her mother and father have been the key persons to encourage her in this journey.
Ms Radha’s future plans include studying the socio-economic aspects of shepherds and their livestock. She has 19 research papers published in international journals and has also collaborated with professors from Germany and Mexico regarding her research work.
Disaster is something when we are faced with a major situation that can lead to huge destruction for life, livelihood and property. For instance, in the Himalayas we are placed in two titanic plates and?when they collide there is a huge risk of earthquakes in the entire Himalayan region. With disaster management preparedness, there is a good potential to reduce the chances of vulnerability.
Prof Ashutosh Mohanty, Prof and Director, Disaster Management and Climate Science Department
What is the potential for employment for students taking up Disaster Management as a subject?
Disaster management experts are in much demand because, as we know, disasters keep happening in various parts of the world. So if students want to pursue a career in disaster management and climate change they should also go for a master degree or a PG diploma in disaster risk management. On completion of the course, there is a number of NGOs like Care India and others which they can join for their career. Even the mass communication students can take up a course in disaster communication as it has a good scope for media students. Students can also go for research. I’m currently conducting two projects on the Himalayas. One of these is a study on the Indus river basin where students can opt. There is vast potential for students to make a career in the fields of disaster management and disaster risk management.
What is your disaster perspective for the Himalayas?
As per various studies conducted over the last many years, a big disaster is expected in a few years or maybe any time in the Himalayan region. Geologists have been keeping a close watch on the movements of Himalayan plates in the region and believe a major disaster is in the offing.
Which International tie-ups have you done for Shoolini University?
There are several. These include those with the University College London and the National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan. I have also worked with various universities in China and the United States besides Stanford University. We are in touch with more universities for collaboration and student exchange programmes. Recently we had a zero-waste management programme with the University of Portland, US.
What are your future plans?
I have a specialisation in disaster risk management in the Himalayas so I want to have an integrated disaster plan. I am also a member of the National Institute of Disaster Management of the Government of India. I plan to make a pool of research scholars so that in future if some disaster happens, they will have a good potential to reduce the chances of vulnerability.
How is your experience at Shoolini?
Shoolini is a very good University. Its location in a natural environment gives its several advantages. It has done very well in the last 10 years but there is still potential for much more in terms of international exposure and we are working towards that.
Shoolini University campus in Solan was abuzz with spirited activities and excitement on February 18 during ‘Prerna Diwas’, celebrated enthusiastically every year on the occasion of varsity Vice-Chancellor Prof P.K. Khosla’s birthday. The day was special for everyone this year as he turned into an octogenarian.
Celebrations began with a ‘Hawan’ ceremony on the campus temple as Prof Khosla thanked the Almighty for 80 joyous years of triumphs and victories. Prof Khosla’s family members and Shoolini staff, present for the special prayer service, greeted the Vice-Chancellor.
This was followed by the inauguration of Baker’s Hub, a bakery-cum-caf?, and a fire control room. Taking forward the university’s endeavour towards a cleaner and greener campus, Prof Khosla also planted a sapling. This was followed by a ‘Dham’, which all staff members and students enjoyed at the Milkha Singh Indoor Sports Stadium.
The competitive spirit took over at the sporting event as the Vice Chancellor’s XI and Registrar’s XI clashed on the cricket field amidst robust cheers by the audience. The VC XI team won after a tough competition that everyone enjoyed tremendously.
After day-long festivities, Shoolini students and staff gathered at the Open Air Theatre for a cultural programme, where the talented students presented scintillating dance and singing performances. This included a rap by Advik, besides a special dance-drama enacted on the life of Prof Khosla.
Certificates were also presented to students who taught underprivileged children under the Parivartan project.
Prof Khosla warmly thanked the students, faculty and staff members for their heartfelt birthday wishes and for making the special day truly memorable for him. He highlighted the various achievements and milestones accomplished by the university since its inception 10 years ago. The road had been laid, he reiterated, and the university would soon claim its place among the top universities of the world. Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Atul Khosla presented a vote of thanks at the conclusion of the function.
‘To Sir With Love’ for VC birthday
Surprise gift for VC Prof P.K. Khosla on his birthday.
The highlight of the day was the launch of the book, ‘To Sir With Love: Decoding the DNA of Prof P.K. Khosla’. This surprise gift for the Vice-Chancellor as he turned an octogenarian weaves an interesting tapestry of memories and anecdotes shared by over 100 of his associates, colleagues, students, friends and family members.
The purpose of this compendium is to motivate young and impressionable minds, who could inculcate some of the values and learnings from the life of a brilliant researcher, teacher, administrator, entrepreneur and above all, a wonderful human being.
Students of B.Sc Yoga, Shoolini University won the District level Yoga Championship held in Baddi on February 9. There were two categories of competitions – group performance and individual performance. In the group performance a team of six students including Pragya Nidhi, Deeksha Chaudhary, Shobha Thakur, Deepika,?Swati Sharma and Mona participated and bagged first position competing with five other teams. In the category of individual participation, Shobha Thakur, Mona and Deepika Chaudhady secured Gold, Silver and Bronze medal respectively. The team will now participate at the State Level Yoga Championship. (Anoushka Jain)
GHS opens Hairport salon on campus
Good Host Spaces Pvt. Ltd. (GHS), the company that has taken over the functioning of hostels in the University, has introduced the first luxury salon called Hairport within the campus. The company takes measures to offer students a new-age living experience and to make them feel just like home in the hostels. GHS has a presence in multiple locations across India which includes Manipal University Jaipur at Jaipur, Woodstock and County at Bangalore, TAPMI at Manipal. Speaking about the inauguration of Hairport salon in the campus, a spokesman of the company said It is a full-service unisex Salon providing hair styling, coloring, highlighting, makeup, personal care and many more”. GHS, the country’s largest purpose-built student accommodation in association with the respective Universities, has started operating Shoolini’s student housing from December 1. The process has already started to upgrade the services for the hostellers. (Nikita Sahi)
National Geographic grant for $ 59,930
Shoolini University has won National Geographic Grant NGS-64405R-19 worth USD $ 59930 for proposal?: “What goes up must come down: Himalayan Upstream plastic waste solutions that minimise downstream marine inputs” with Katie Conlon, Fulbright Research Fellow Portland University USA. Prof Ashutosh Mohanty, Director, Disaster Management and Climate Change, said the international project could promote Himalayan sustainability and expand our research scope to inter disciplinary water and waste management fields.
FIP scholarship to present paper
Dr Aditi Sharma, Assistant Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, has been awarded with the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) scholarship to present her PhD work at FIP Pharmaceutical Sciences World Congress which is going to be held at Montreal, Canada in May 2020. The work was done under the supervision of Prof Rohit Goyal, according to Dean Prof Deepak Kapoor.
2nd prize for paper presentation on law
Students of law participated in National Seminar cum work shop on Climate Emergency, No Time Left , Act Now in Panjab University, Chandigarh on 15th February 2020.Which was presided over by? Honorable Mr. Justice A K Goel, chairman NGT. Students were accompanied by Assistant Professor Ms. Anupriya Thakur who also bagged 2nd position in paper presentation out of 94 participants.
Fully paid scholarships for Taiwan
Registrar Dr Sunil Puri, who is also Dean, Academics, has said fully paid scholarships (including tuition fee and living expenses) are available for Shoolini University students. He said these are for Masters and PhD programme in Taiwan. Interested students should contact International Office immediately, he said.?
Research paper published in RSC
School of Chemistry, Shoolini University has got a research publication in a very reputed journal green chemistry (RSC) with impact factor 10. The work was started three years ago with collaboration in PEC Chandigarh, according to Dr Neeraj Gupta, former Head, School of Chemistry who said it will be helpful to increase the research perception of the University.? Meanwhile, a manuscript “Monotherapy of RAAS blockers and mobilization of aldosterone: A mechanistic perspective study in kidney disease” has been accepted for publication in Chemico Biological Interactions Journal (3.5 impact factor). Its co-authors include Gaurav Gupta, Deepak Kapoor, Rohit Goyal, Poonam Negi, Kamal Dua.
Shoolini University is all set to pick up pace and break new records in the field of research and education, besides extending its reach by opening off-campus centres in Himachal Pradesh and setting up a university in Punjab. Speaking on the eve of his 80th birthday on February 18, which is also celebrated as Prerna Diwas, Vice Chancellor Prof P.K. Khosla said the university was on the right track to achieve its goal of being among the best global universities. Providing data on various parameters, Prof Khosla said the university was already rubbing shoulders with the best in the world in several areas of research and innovation. Within India, it was rated very high in filing research-based patents and had achieved a high H-Index of 55. He said the university placed equal emphasis in maintaining a high standard of teaching in liberal arts, engineering, pharmacy and other fields of education. Its unique SPRINT programme, which honed the soft skills of students and was credit based, was being replicated by other institutions, he said. The founder Vice Chancellor said the University was now planning to construct a full-fledged Meditation and Yoga School as well as a Naturopathy and Health Care Centre, along with an Ayurveda College and Hospital. He believed a good Yoga School was the need of the hour for our nation. In the coming 10 years, this would be his contribution to the society. Talking about the roadblocks he faced, Prof Khosla said, one must never be disturbed with the immediate results of any situation but have faith in God and focus on good Karma. Now that the University had reached a certain stability, Prof Khosla planned on strengthening his idea of “Freeship”, and sponsor intelligent children’s education who lacked financial support, so that they could reach their full potential and recognised their self-esteem. He also informed how the university had managed to generate 500 to 600 jobs for the locals and promised that it would only go higher in the coming years.?
On the anvil
Full-fledged Meditation and Yoga School Naturopathy and Health Care Centre Ayurveda College and Hospital “Freeship” to sponsor intelligent children’s education Off-campus centres in Himachal Pradesh A university in Punjab More jobs for the local population
The US-based University of Houston, a leading public research university in Houston, Texas, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Himachal based Shoolini University for collaboration in research and academic partnership.
The nearly a century-old Houston University, ranked among the best colleges in America, is home to award-winning faculty, innovative research centers, has one of the most diverse student populations in the US, and alumni who have become international leaders.
As per the agreement signed by Dr Jiwen He, Professor and Chair, Department of Mathematics at University of Houston and Dr Dinesh Singh, Distinguished Professor, Shoolini University, the Mathematics Department of the University of Houston has offered Shoolini University to admit five of its graduate students into their Graduate Ph.D programme every year.
The students recommended by Shoolini University would be evaluated and tentatively approved by the University of Houston a year in advance. They would study in the Solan campus of the University for a year and complete their programme at the Texas campus of the University of Houston. The selected students would be entitled to a stipend for first-year and fellowships subsequently as per the rules of the University.
Shoolini University Vice-Chancellor Prof PK Khosla welcomed the agreement and said that? it would provide golden opportunities to students concerned. He said the University, which already has tie-ups with over 200 universities across the globe, has initiated steps to open more such avenues for its students.
Dr Dinesh Singh, a former Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University, who is also an Adjunct Faculty at the University of Houston, said that graduates and PhDs of the Mathematics Department of the University are serving in leading positions in multinationals, finance and banking firms, at NASA and at the famed Medical Centre at Houston in addition to universities across the globe.
This is an unique opportunity for students of Shoolini to take full advantage at no financial cost for furthering their careers. It is also a recognition of the standing of Shoolini University, he added.
Established in 1927, the University of Houston empowers students in their pursuit of learning, discovery, leadership and engagement as per a spokesperson. It provides students with cutting edge programmes including undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, distance and continuing education.
“At the University of Houston we prepare students to envision their future, emerge as leaders and launch careers that transform the world”, the spokesperson added.
Life is truly unpredictable. It might be good, it might be bad, it might be weird and it might not interest you, but just expect anything to happen. Every beginner possesses a great potential to be an expert in the chosen field. But for someone who struggles with the unknown, someone like me, freshman year of college can feel like walking a path lined with land mines – heart racing, feels like disaster around every corner.
Well, I am just another troubled, irrational, impulsive,
fanatically passionate, confused being.
Pushpgandha Tiwari
Since class 12th, I dreamt of becoming a genetic engineer and here I am, at its first step. Well college life has been and still is portrayed as being nothing but partying and having fun by the media. Pure freedom… leaving home for the first time&the parties&well, here terms like tutorials, lectures and existential dread are silent. With many house rules abandoned and existence without a curfew, students get the first taste of adulthood.
I thought everything will be easy. However, from the hostel mess’s food to having no money I learnt that being an adult is harder than what parents display. Campus life shows students what they perceive is very different from the reality of life. College is not quite the romantic lyceum that I had imagined. No, it’s definitely not like its shown in movies. You would think that you have enough time but blink, here are your internals, blink, sessional exams.
The moment you realise you need to study, one semester is
over. There is no time to even communicate with one’s own thoughts. College is
full of pressure and tormenting tasks because at this point in time, you are
being equipped with the necessary competencies needed in the field of specialisation
which you have chosen.
Being from the plains I have always admired mountains a lot
and the air here still has oxygen, unbelievable! Studying here is basically
like a vacation for me but every time I have to climb up from F block to my
hostel room uphill, I wish I was dead (just kidding !).
In school I always felt like I was the only intellectual
person in a room mostly full of morons obliterating precious IQ points.
College, on the other hand is diametrically opposite. There’s room full of
smart, funny people who are all used to being the smartest, funniest people in
the room, if not the entire planet. The hardest part of the entire day is
dragging myself with my last two brain cells in the morning lectures, spent
entirely on my phone, rethinking whether all this is really worth a college
degree.
In the beginning my mind used to be so full of heterogeneous
matter that I almost despaired of ever being able to put it in order.
College taught me that my potential can grow only when I can
think and grow out of my comfort zone, that anything practical you learn will
be obsolete before you use it, except the complex math, which you will never
use.
As I’m moving forward I’m falling in love with this life, no
doubt why people mention college as the best experience of one’s life, from
bunking lectures to studying all night before exams, the hostel life and the
most important aspect friendships, these moments carry a lot of sentimental
value and the networks created here are going to help us for the rest of our
lives.
I am also a part of the Chatterbox Club here which keeps me
creative among all the studies and never ending lectures. I have decided to
explore this place a bit more rather than just sitting around in my room eating
and watching youtube videos about cats.
I am armed with a fierce independence, well-grounded sense
of self, a strong work ethic, drive to succeed and disarming personality. I am
looking forward to upcoming years with enthusiasm. I’ve learned one thing and
that’s to quit worrying about stupid things. I have four years to be
irresponsible here, so yes, relax!
Sakshi Rather, a student of Masters in Food Technology who is on an exchange Programme in Italy, says it is a great learning experience in Italy and her entire perspective towards life and career has changed since she set foot in Italy.
Sakshi Rather, M.Tech, student Italy.
Hailing from Ambala in Haryana, Sakshi said that she has got more clear about what she wants to do in life. And that is to be a Food Scientist so that she can develop new and nutritious food techniques.
She is studying at the University of Naples Federico and she is pursuing a food design course that falls under Food Innovation and Product Design (FIPDES).
She said there was a huge difference between the culture and language of Italy and India. She said there are so many different languages there, like in India, and the eating habits of the people of Italy are quite different as they eat more protein food and every food is made in olive oil.
People over there are more healthy due to their eating habits and physical activity, she added. Sakshi is a vegetarian but said food was never an issue in Italy as all kinds of vegetarian foods are available in that country.
She is an Erasmus student and her Erasmus coordinator is Mrs Paola Lanzzoti and her mentor is Mrs Paola Vitaglione. Her class has students from different countries like Molly (Scotland), Mahtab (Pakistan), Tushaar (India), George (Mexico), Maria (Equador), Hugo (Brazil), Mara (Italy), Jumana (Palestine), Mohammad (Palestine) and Julie (France).
Stating that she has fallen in love with Italy, she said she would recommend all visitors to see places like Pompei, Casperta, Amalfi coast and Sicily. Referring to the system of education in Italy, she said in Italy the focus is on practical knowledge rather than theoretical syllabus.
B Pharma Programme of School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University has been accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) for three years, according to official communication received here today.
The School is one among five institutions in the Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand and Punjab region and the only University of Himachal Pradesh with NBA accredited B Pharma Programme.
The NBA accreditation will enable the graduates’ degree to get worldwide recognition and will enhance the graduate attributes required by the industries, according to Dr Deepak Kapoor, Dean,
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University.
The advantages of the accreditation are that the institution becomes eligible to secure necessary funds from various funding agencies for research and motivates faculty to participate actively in academic and related Institutional/departmental activities.
On the other hand, students can avail specific projects grants from AICTE (All India Council of Technical and Education) and they can also avail the benefit of the GPAT scholarship in the School. NBA accreditation was given to the institute after an on-site evaluation of the department by the team of experts from the NBA, Dr Kapoor added.
The School of Pharmaceutical has been ranked among the top 40 institutions in India for four consecutive years. Criteria of NBA accreditation was based on the fulfilment of nine different parameters: Vision, Mission and Programme, Educational Objectives, Programme Curriculum and Teaching-Learning Processes, Course Outcomes and Programmes Outcomes, Student’s performance, Faculty information and contributions, Facilities and technical support, Continuous improvement, Student support system, Governance, Institutional Support and Financial Resources.
Vice-Chancellor Prof P K Khosla congratulated the department in getting the coveted accreditation and asked the faculty and students to take full benefit of the accreditation.
Author and well-known educationist, Prof Manju Jaidka, who
has recently joined the Department of English in Shoolini University, was
interviewed by the Shoolini Newsletter reporter. Here are excerpts from the
interview:
What’s your educational background and where all have you taught?
I have been to schools in Ambala and Secunderabad, completed
my graduation from Government College for Girls at Chandigarh, and obtained
Masters and PhD degrees from department of English, Panjab University,
Chandigarh. I have been a Postdoc Fulbright fellow at Harvard and Yale, a
Rockefeller fellow at Bellagio in Italy and the University of Iowa in the US,
and on visiting assignments in several other countries like Canada, UK,
Austria, Germany, China, Taiwan, Nepal, Bangladesh, etc.
Prof Manju Jaidka
What is your
designation and what are your responsibilities in the university?
I have recently joined as Professor of English and at the
moment I’m simply teaching, but as I get settled I hope to be more and more
involved in the university activities.
Tell us about your
experience and what all major organisations are you associated with?
I taught in Panjab University for 44 years, first in an
affiliated college and then in the Department of English at PU, but I haven’t
really been stagnating there. As I mentioned, I have had opportunities to
travel a lot. I believe in having roots and wings – you are rooted in one
particular place but you go to other places and come back. I have travelled
regularly across the country and abroad. I subscribe to the ideology of
“One World, One Dream” and visualize a fraternity of like-minded
intellectuals in a borderless world of ideas. This is what my career has been
focused on.
I need to mention here that I since 1998 I have been running
an academic association (called MELOW, www.melow.in ) with global linkages and
we hold international conferences every year. At any given time our membership
crosses 700. We have an international network and remain connected.
There’s another international organization that I’m part of
and I have served as their Executive Director. This is the International
American Studies Association
(https://www.facebook.com/InternationalAmericanStudiesAssociation/
https://www.institutofranklin.net/en/events/ix-international-american-studies-association-world-congress-iasa/),
the membership of which spans 40 countries. It meets every two years in
different continents.
What are your hobbies
and interest areas?
I enjoy what I’m doing. Plus I love reading, writing. I’m a
creative writer, too, and one of my novels, Scandal Point, has just gone into
its third reprint and I brought out my second collection of poems last month.
So I look for time and space to write undisturbed.
In the summer season I go swimming regularly. When I need to
de-stress I do some old-fashioned doing tailoring; or I go for a walk,
listening to music, do a spot of meditation, spend time with friends or with my
grand-children, and generally relax.
Why do you think
English is so important for career building?
English is very important if you want to get a head start in
the world and if you don’t want to be the proverbial frog in the well. In
India, where each region has a different language, English provides a vital
link. It is still the lingua franca whether we like it or not.When we go abroad
we need a language with which we can communicate to the people outside. So, if
you want to go places you have to learn English.
How can one improve
learning and communication in English?
Practice makes one perfect. You just have to read a lot; you
have to practice the language, and you have to practice writing. There are no
short cuts but at the same time it is not difficult to attain mastery over the
language once you resolve to do so.
Why did you choose to
work in Shoolini?
Shoolini has a good reputation among private universities.
It is considered to be the best in the region. I like the work culture here and
the fact that everyone is very enthusiastic and very much hands-on into work.
It is like one big, well-knit family. It has everything to satisfy professional
appetite. Geographically, the campus is nestled in the midst of nature and not
far from Chandigarh, where I belong.
What is your advice
for Shoolinians?
I would advise the young students here to make the best of
their time in this little haven. Work hard, learn whatever is possible, and
then go out into the world to make a name for yourself and to bring laurels to
your alma mater. In your journey through life, the skills you garner here will
come to your aid, so value your time in Shoolini and use it optimally.
And, yes, remember to hone your communication skills, in
particular in the English language. English is essential if you wish to go
places. So, work hard, do well, and the world will be at your feet. The
universe will conspire to help you fulfill your dreams.
