Central University of Kashmir gets first Chancellor

 Srinagar, August 13 (Scoop News) – The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee has appointed internationally acclaimed scientist and Padma Shri award recipient, Dr. Srikumar Banerjee as the first Chancellor of the Central University of Kashmir (CUK).

According to a communiqué received by the CUK Vice-Chancellor from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Dr. Srikumar Banerjee has been appointed as the head of the varsity for a period of five years.

Dr. Srikumar Banerjee has worked in several prestigious institutions and has been the former Director Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Trombay and former Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission of India (AECI).

Dr. Srikumar Banerjee, who is a Metallurgical Engineer, retired as the Chairman Atomic Energy Commission of India and the Secretary of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

Dr. Banerjee is one of the leading experts in material Science and Technology in India and has made outstanding contributions to many materials related areas, basic as well as application oriented.

In 1967, Dr. Banerjee obtained a B.Tech degree with honours in Metallurgical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kharagpur and subsequently obtained Ph.D from the same Institute.

In the course of his distinguished professional career, Dr. Banerjee has published more than 300 scientific papers in reputed international and national journals. Some of these publications are regarded as landmark contributions in the field of materials science.

Dr. Banerjee’s has been the recipient of many awards and honours which include: Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Young Scientist Medal (1976), National Metallurgists’ Day Award (1981), Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Prize in Engineering Sciences (1989), Materials Research Society of India (MRSI) Medal (1990), G.D. Birla Gold Medal of The Indian Institute of Metals (1997), INSA Prize for Materials Science (2001), MRSI-Superconductivity and Materials Science Prize (2003), Indian Nuclear Society Award (2003).

Notable among the international awards received by him are Acta Metallurgical Outstanding Paper Award (1984) and Humboldt Research Award (2004). Dr. Banerjee is a Fellow of a number of august academic bodies including Indian National Science Academy, Indian Academy of Sciences, Indian National Academy of Engineering, The National Academy of Sciences, India and Asia Pacific Academy of Materials. He is on the Board of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. since October 8, 2004.

Dr. Banerjee has held visiting positions overseas which include the University of Sussex, Brighton, England, Max-Planck Institut fuer Metallforschung – Institut fuer Physik, Stuttgart and Forschungszeutrum Juelich, Germany, University of Cincinnati and the Ohio State University, USA (as Visiting Faculty).

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