Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) was conceived as a ´Research Institute´ or ´University of Research´ by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, in the final years of the 19th century. A long period of almost thirteen years was to elapse from the initial conception in 1896 to the birth of the institute on May 27, 1909. C.V. Raman became the first Indian Director of the Institute in 1933. In the century that has passed since its inception, IISc has grown to become India´s premier centre for research and postgraduate education in science and engineering. The evolution of the Institute over the past one hundred years has mirrored the development of science and technology in India.Many of India´s most distinguished scientists have been associated with the Institute as students or faculty. Notable among them are G.N. Ramachandran, Harish Chandra, S. Ramaseshan, A. Ramachandran, C.N.R. Rao and R. Narasimha. Alumni of the Institute head many major organizations in India and abroad.The Institute offers a variety of Master´s degree programs in Engineering, an integrated Ph.D. (post-B.Sc.) program in Sciences and Ph.D. programs in a wide spectrum of disciplines in science and engineering. Last year the Institute launched a 4-year undergraduate program leading to a B.S. degree, with an opportunity for students to obtain a broad foundation in science, including an exposure to research. The research laboratories at the Institute are extremely well equipped. Many national facilities are housed at the Institute. The library and computational facilities at the Institute are amongst the best in India. A major program for modernizing laboratories is underway. The Institute hosts hundreds of visitors from India and abroad every year and is the venue for many major national and international academic events.

The Institute offers a variety of Master´s degree programs in Engineering, an integrated Ph.D. (post-B.Sc.) program in Sciences and Ph.D. programs in a wide spectrum of disciplines in science and engineering.The Institute hosts hundreds of visitors from India and abroad every year and is the venue for many major national and international academic events. The face of science and engineering research has been changing very rapidly over the past few years. In approaching the second century of the Institute many new activities have been initiated. Notable among them are the interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs in Mathematical Sciences and Nanoscience and Engineering. A new program in Bioengineering has been launched this year. These programs are intended to blur the traditional boundaries between disciplines, thereby promoting cross-disciplinary research. An M.Tech. program in Transportation Engineering was introduced in 2010 and a Master´s program in Management with a focus on Technology Management and Business Analytics was started last year. New centres in the areas of Earth Sciences, Climate Change and Neuroscience have been established in the last few years. The Institute hopes to foster collaborative and interdisciplinary research in a vigorous fashion in the years to come. The Institute is also committed to promoting post-doctoral research in the areas of science and engineering. The Institute engages in interactions with society and industry through a variety of outreach programs. The Centre for Scientific and Industrial Consultancy (CSIC) and the Society for Innovation and Development (SID) promote collaborative interactions with industry, while the Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) provides an opportunity for working scientists and engineers to enrich themselves academically. The Institute actively promotes programs that encourage bright young school and undergraduate students to undertake research careers. The Institute administers the Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) program of the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The Institute´s commitment to socially relevant research is specifically emphasized by the activities undertaken at the Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST), together with the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST), which is housed on the campus.