Prof Talat takes over as new VC of Kashmir University

Srinagar, June 01  (Scoop News) –      Renowned Scientist and Academician Prof Talat Ahmad today formally took over as the new Vice-Chancellor (VC) of University of Kashmir .

Immediately after taking charge from the outgoing Vice chancellor Prof Riyaz Punjabi, VC in an interaction with the top functionaries of the varsity  and academia expressed happiness the way Kashmir University (KU) has grown over the years in terms of infrastructure and facilities.. “We would like to go beyond from there and all our efforts have to be student specific “said VC adding  that students should face no problems while perusing their careers at KU.

Accountability on all fronts is  something which will help us grow faster said VC  appealing all the university employees to do as good as they can and as fast as  they can t make  KU a  hub of educational activity where our students find avenues of growth and development.  Saying that there is no way out than to mobilize all our resources to benefit our Youth . Prof Talat felt that empowering youth for entrepreneurship will be one of the steps in the direction. .

VC also felt the dire need for creating facilities for  extra  curricular activities for KU students.” Students must have some outlet “ he said and expressed his earnestness  to have more facilities for students  and also  student  exchange programmes. One of my priority areas will be to seek national and foreign collaborations and soon we will have a Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with Delhi University which for sure will benefit  our students and teachers , said VC.  J&K has lot of mineral resources  and I look forward to interaction between industry, Media and Academia for the creation of more industries  in the area to see  that our youth get jobs , said Prof Tlalat appealing the teachers present  for  their support . He said   that  he will be keen to see winter sports facilities growing for our students of J&K.

Prof  Talat Ahmad who  has the  distinction of being a Fellow of all the Science Academies of the Country stressed the need for paying attention to research at KU.  “You can be a good teacher only if you research simultaneously”,  he had a word of advice for teachers assuring them of  all his support and cooperation in their  research persuits.

To a question about his first impressions about KU , VC was all praise about the Iqbal Library  and  the way information Technology and  e -governance has gained momentum,  infrastructure  has come up in the departments  and  the landscape development has taken place.” You have one of the most beautiful campuses” he said .  He would like to go further away from this ,  adding that  he would be keen to see  the proposed satellite campuses at  Kargil, Leh and the Kupwara districts of the state functional and the already  functional campuses being further developed .

Prof Talat later interacted with a group of parliamentarians headed by  Sh. Moniul Islam (acting chairman ) who visited KU to have a first hand information about the youth sports hostel  being constructed at a cost of Rs 518.58 lacs by the construction division of the University of Kashmir. The team accompanied by DC Srinagar Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo interacted with  senior functionaries of the university as well. The delegation assured support from the president nominee’s parliamentarians group for the youth hostel.  

Earlier  the  day at 9.30 am   Prof  Talat  received Dr Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister for  renewable energy resources   who inaugurated a cricket tournament organized by  Amateur Cricket Club at the university grounds today . Dr Abdullah assured all the support and cooperation to Prof Talat for   the growth and development of the University”

A researcher all along , Dr. Talat Ahmad has the rather exceptional distinction of being a Fellow of all the Science Academies of the Country: the Indian National Science Academy (FNA), New Delhi; the Indian Academy of Sciences, (FASc); and the National Academy of Sciences, (FNASc).

DR Talat completed his MSc in geology from Aligarh Muslim University in 1977 followed by an M Phil in Ore Petrology from JNU in 1980.

He then went onto complete his PhD in Igneous Petrology from JNU in 1985.  In 1988-89, he did a Post Doctoral Fellowship with University of Liecester, while in 1997-98, he did another Post Doctoral Fellowship with University of Cambridge.  In 1999-2000, he did another Post Doctoral Fellowship with Nagota University (Japan).

He joined Geological Survey of India as Geologist in February 1980 and later worked as a Scientist-B with Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehra Dun . .He held different academic and research positions and fellowships with a number of universities and later worked as a Scientist-C with Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehra Dun.  He has been working as Professor at Department of Geology, University of Delhi, continuously since 31-10-2003.

Talat received the prestigious National Mineral Award, 1994 from the Government of India. He is a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore and a Life Member of Mineralogical Society of India.

He has been presently working on the various sponsored projects, including Geochemical, Isotopic and Geochronological characterization of Granotoids from the Central Indian Tectonic Zones (CITZ) and Central Indian Shear Zones (CISZ)-Constraints on Pre-cambrian Crystal Evolution, funded by Indo-Russian, ILTP Project, and Proterozoic mafic magmatism in the Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ): elemental and isotopic constraints on crystal evolution and geodynamics.  Dr Talat has over 60 research publications to his credit. He has supervised several M. Phil and Ph. D. research studies at the University of Delhi and the Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

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