Ayanangsha Maitra in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
To make human scientific community more useful and make the disciplines more connected, a common platform to address complex challenges, SRM University-Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati, has launched UNITES Global Innovation Society United Network for Sustainable Development Solutions earlier on Saturday in association with Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE).
“India’s STEM culture is at its peak,” said Prof. Ch. Satish Kumar, Vice-Chancellor of SRM University-AP, in an exclusive interview. He pointed to the changing nature of mathematical research, noting that the advent of artificial intelligence has transformed mathematical modelling and created new avenues for interdisciplinary inquiry.
“Research funding support is essential for research,” Prof. Satish Kumar said, adding that India could explore elements of the American model, particularly by encouraging corporate social responsibility funds to support research and development. Greater CSR player participation, he suggested, could provide valuable support to India’s research ecosystem.
Anthropologist turned Management and Public Health expert Prof. Satish Kumar, who studied management under renowned management scholar Henry Mintzberg at McGill University, emphasised the need to place problem-solving at the centre of contemporary research. In his view, complex social challenges increasingly require expertise that transcends conventional disciplinary boundaries.
“Solutions to problems are the need of the hour,” he said, stressing that a multidisciplinary platform can help bring together diverse areas of expertise to address social challenges.
The need for such a platform was also underlined by Prof. Vijayamohanan Kunjukrishna Pillai of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Thiruvananthapuram.
“There are subject-wise societies, but there is no multidisciplinary platform to address or debate challenges,” Pillai said.
Speaking to TheNewsSite.in about the multidisciplinary approach, Pillai highlighted India’s demographic advantage and its relatively young population. He said the country must prepare its younger generation for emerging challenges, particularly in areas such as the environment, water and energy.
The UNITES initiative is aligned with the broader vision of the National Education Policy, particularly its emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, research and collaboration.
The Centre for Interdisciplinary Research (CIDR) at SRM University-AP will serve as the founding and host institution of UNITES Global Innovation Society. The society is envisioned as a sustained platform for collaborative research, innovation, scientific exchange and public engagement.
At the heart of UNITES is the philosophy of “problems first, disciplines second” an approach that seeks to bring together expertise according to the nature of the challenge rather than confining research to traditional disciplinary boundaries, the founding body stated during the lunch.
Prof. Sarangam Vijaya Bhaskara Rao, Chairman-in-Charge of APSCHE and chief guest at the launch, highlighted the importance of strengthening the relationship between scientific research, higher education and society. He emphasised multidisciplinary collaboration as an important means of addressing increasingly complex societal challenges.
Speaking to TheNewsSite.in, Prof. Achanta Venu Gopal, Director of CSIR–National Physical Laboratory and president of UNITES Global Innovation Society, stressed the need to translate India’s scientific capabilities into practical solutions.
He called for greater collaboration among experts from different disciplines to develop indigenous technologies and solutions capable of addressing challenges at both the local and global levels.
The initiative comes at a time when India’s scientific and technological ecosystem is expanding rapidly, creating an increasing need for collaboration across disciplines. The convenor of the launch, SRM University-AP hosts around 600 international students every year, drawing students from countries including Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Gambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and the UAE, authorities told.
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