4th Somaiya Polymer Science Symposium S4P-4 Celebrates Innovations in Polymer Industry and Academia

Mumbai (Maharastra) [India],October 29: The Department of Polymer Science at S. K. Somaiya College of Somaiya Vidyavihar University, and The Society for Polymer Science India (SPSI)  successfully hosted the 4^th edition of the Somaiya Polymer Science Symposium Series (S⁴P-4) at the University campus. With fourteen event partners from both academia and Industry this year’s symposium centered around the theme “Polymer Science: Shaping Tomorrow’s Innovations,” showcasing significant advancements in polymer science and its transformative potential for future innovations.

The SPSI, with a legacy of over three decades, comprises ten regional chapters across major cities in India, each independently organizing professional activities to support its members. Since 2021, the Department of Polymer Science at Somaiya Vidyavihar University has proudly hosted the National Symposium on Polymer Science and Technology in Mumbai. The S⁴P series continues to serve as a vital platform for collaboration and idea exchange among scientists and industry professionals in the field of chemistry and polymer science.

The symposium was inaugurated by Padmabhushan Prof. P. Balaram, former Director of IISc Bangaluru, alongside Shri Samir Somaiya, Chancellor of Somaiya Vidyavihar University; Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice Chancellor; Padmashri Prof. S. Sivaram; Prof of Eminence and Dean, Faculty of Science; Prof. Anil Kumar, President of SPSI; CA Monica Lodha, Director of S. K. Somaiya College; and Prof. Soumyadeb Ghosh, Head of the Department of Polymer Science and Organizing Chair of the symposium. The symposium also featured Prof. V N Rajasekharan Pillai’s  75^th Birthday Festschrift session.

The occasion was honoured with the presence and speech by Padma Vibhushan Prof. M. M. Sharma, Padmashri Prof. Ganapathi D. Yadav, and Prof. Sunil Bhagwat, Director of IISER Pune.

The S⁴P-4 has also featured  several academic sessions, a separate  Industrial session as well as a student session. The students’ poster competition was featured with five best poster awards from the American Chemical Society. The event brought together 30 eminent speakers from academia and industry to discuss topics such as sustainable polymers, Supramolecular chemistry, Rheology, Polymer nanomaterials, and biomaterials.

As the keynote speaker, Padmabhushan Prof. P. Balaram delivered an insightful session on “Science Education in India: An Uncertain and Challenging Future,” addressing the evolving landscape of the Indian education system and the crucial role of science in shaping future generations. Additionally,  lectures by Prof. Arnab Bhattacharya, Director Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Prof. R K Shyamasundar, INSA Professor, IIT Mumbai and Prof. Savita Ladage, Dean, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education,   further enriched the symposium’s discussions.

In his welcome address, Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice-Chancellor of Somaiya Vidyavihar University expressed gratitude to the distinguished guests for their attendance during this festive weekend, stating, “Your participation in demonstrates your commitment to advancing polymer science”.

Shri Samir Somaiya, Chancellor of Somaiya Vidyavihar University,  remarked, “While attending Cornell University, my grandfather made a promise to return and transform Somaiya Vidyavihar University into a world-class holistic learning institution. Guided by his vision and the esteemed members present, we have evolved into a multidisciplinary university excelling in teaching and research, with the goal of giving back to society.” He also extended warm wishes to Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai on his 75^th birthday, highlighting that the symposium’s success is a testament to his dedication to science.

The first day of the event concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof. Soumyadeb Ghosh, Head of the Department of Polymer Science and Organizing Chair of the Symposium. He said “A heartfelt thank you to Shri Samir Somaiya Chancellor and Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai-Vice Chancellor, for all the encouragement and support for the Department of Polymer Science to move forward and progress. We also want to thank Prof. Anil Kumar and other distinguished dignitaries for attending this event”.

The first-day public session on higher education in Science, attended by 250 participant was followed by two days of technical sessions of the symposium, which featured presentations from various speakers from the field of Chemistry and Polymers Science, including Prof Uday Maitra, IISc, Bangalore; Prof. S K Asha, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune; Prof. R Vinu, Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai; Prof. Vaishali Shinde, Pune University, Pune;  Dr. K S Ajishkumar, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai Dr. Venkata Rao Kotagiri Indian Institute of Technology,  Hyderabad;  Mr. Unmesh. Nayak, Reliance Industries Limited, Mumbai; Dr. Roopali Rai, Huntsman, Mumbai; Dr. Manivannan Ramanujachary, SABIC, Bangalore; Dr. Mohanlal Digar, Pidilite Industries Limited; Dr. Girish Mirchandani, Asian Paints Mumbai; Dr HMP Naveen Kumar, Supreme Petrochemical Limited, Mumbai, covering diverse subjects, alongside the publication of a Book of Abstracts detailing the contributions made during the event. The symposium culminated after the awards session, ending with the getting together of many ex-students of Prof.  V N Rajasekharan Pillai, including Prof. K Sreekumar, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi; Dr. Sasikumar Pottayil, GaloreTx Pharmaceuticals Private Limited , Bangalore; Prof. K S Devaky, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam and Dr. V G Jayakumari, Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory, Kochi,   invited by the convenor of the symposium, Dr. Daly Davis with the guidance of Prof. Ajaya Ghosh, former student of Prof. Pillai, an eminent scientist  and the Chairman of National Scientific Committee for the symposium, for some happy photography session on stage.

The symposium has been steered by a 13 member scientific committee including Dr Anubhav Saxena, Pidilite Industries Limited,  Mumbai;  Prof. Honey John, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi; Dr Rahul Shingte, Solvay, Vadodara;  Dr Subhra Mohanty, Apcotex Industries Limited, Mumbai; Prof. Priyadarshi De, Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, Kolkata; and Prof Subi George, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre For Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore and a 14 member organizing committee including, Prof. Anagha Sabnis, ICT, Mumbai;  Prof. Bright Philip, KJSCSC, SVU; Prof. Baig Tasneem Fatma Siraj, A E Kalsekar Degree College Mumbai ; Prof. Swapan Ray, KJSIM, SVU and Prof. Ramchandra Govind Thorat, Mumbai University, Mumbai. The national symposium has been partnered with the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF formerly known as SERB); The Royal Society of Chemistry; The American Chemical Society; Reliance Industries Limited, Mumbai;  Supreme Petrochemical limited, Mumbai;  Pidilite  Industries Limited, Mumbai; Solvay Specialities India Pvt Ltd (Syensqo), Gujarat; High Performance Plastics India Private Limited (SABIC), Bangalore; Asian Paints Limited, Mumbai; Frontier Labs Ltd, Japan; Tata Chemical Ltd, Mumbai; Expanded Polymer Sy stems Private Limited, Mumbai; Toshvin Analytical Pvt Ltd, Mumbai and Neuron Material Science, Tamilnadu.  In its two-and-a-half day events, the S⁴P-4 had 30 distinguished speakers and chairs from academia and industry, 127 registered participants from Institute of Chemical Technology, IIT Hyderabad; Kalsekar Degree College,Mumbai; NCL, Pune, including research scholars, PG and UG students, 20 Industry delegates including Godavari Biorefineries limited, 50 in-house participants and 17 poster presentations.

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