Interview with Dr. Madhavan Nair, Chairman, Indian Space
Research Organisation
ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organization, is a government
agency dedicated to the development of space technology. Its satellites
do everything from facilitating communication, to managing mineral
resources to tracking cyclones. Through its tele-education project,
ISRO transfers virtual classrooms from major universities to less-privileged
institutions. And through telemedicine, ISRO helps institutions
like Amma's AIMS Hospital assist rural health clinics. When ISRO's
chairman, Dr. Madhavan Nair, came for Amma's darshan in Bangalore
in 2004, he spent some time talking with Amritapuri.org.
When did you first meet Amma?
"I had heard of Her almost 10 years back, but my first opportunity
to visit Her was at Her Amitapuri Ashram with President Kalam.
We travelled together and had a half-hour session with Her. What
a fantastic experience!
"That a person of Amma's background was talking authoritatively
on technology and charity to people and how harmony had to be
brought among all these! Today, again, the way She is motivating
people!
"I see top-class experts gathered here. We speak of 'brain
drain'—people going away to other places for work—but
as a single person She has provided attractive courses to bring
them back and serve the people as part of their work! So I see
something very divine and attractive. A type of force emanates
from Her. I think it cannot be defined by our analysis."
What can you say about the connection between science and
spirituality?
"I think the divide between the two is very narrow. The
scientist is trying to find out the ultimate truth about Nature.
At the same time, spirituality tries to find the ultimate truth
through body, soul and divinity. There are millions of questions
that science can't answer. There is a power beyond all of us and
that's what makes things happen—which has been the origin
of the universe itself. There may be a lot of commonality as well
as opposites between the two, but on entirely different themes.
Through science and technology, we are trying to seek material
benefits and improve the quality of life, whereas spirituality
tries to find mental peace and harmony in Nature."
So one doesn't go without the other?
"According to me, both go together."
So, what role does spirituality play in your professional
life?
"Even when you talk about very complex problems, some subjectivity
is involved. You won't have 100 percent of the facts before you
can take a decision. Then something comes from the inner mind—you
may call it intuition, or sixth sense. But that quite often helps
you arrive at the right decision and taking the right path."
Would ISRO be willing to participate in any of Amma's projects?
"We have already joined hands with Amma's institutions like
AIMS at Cochin. Telemedicine connects metro hospitals like AIMS
in Cochin to remote areas through satellite links. Thus AIMS provides
expert medical advice to poor patients in the Lakshadweep Islands
and the northeast region of India. We have provided software and
training for telemedicine at AIMS and are discussing expanding
this connectivity to the other three institutions [Coimbatore,
Amritapuri and Bangalore] too so virtual classrooms can be transmitted
back and forth.
— Minu & Devadath
Principal Scientific advisor to the Government of India,
Dr.R Chidambaram
Can you just briefly tell us about you know your visit? Can
u tell us what has inspired you?
Here of course I met Dr. Venkat Rangan on Friday and he was nice
enough to invite me to come here and it was a great privilege
to meet Mata Amritanandamayi and hear about the various things
from Her -Her great wisdom, Her great compassion. I am most impressed
by the way she is looking at the problems of the poor. A tremendous
education network has been set up under her leadership, starting
from schools and now it has gone to engineering education, medical
education and also research. And I am also very much impressed
by the quality of the research scientists who are working in this
organization. More>>
Reflections of a Distinguished Visitor to Kochi campus
Prof. Vijay Varadan ,
Distinguished Professor of Engineering, Pennsylvania State University.
“I enjoyed every minute of my visit to Amrita Institute
of Medical Sciences, Kochi. You have excellent faculty and fantastic
facility. I felt as though I was in a different world (may be
heaven if one could say that). I was very impressed with your
Neurosurgery faculty and I hope there would be an opportunity
for us to collaborate with AMMA's blessings and support.”
-- Vijay Varadan.
Prof. Vijay Varadan is a Distinguished Professor of Engineering
at Pennsylvania State University. He is one of the leading authorities
in the field of Nanotechnology and BioMEMs today.
Infosys Technology's Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer,
Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan in conversation
Sir, how do you feel about Amrita?
I feel that such institutes of higher learning are a must and
especially, this institute where you look after the spiritual
needs of the individual as well as the technical and technological
education in this institute. Peace of mind is very much required
to increase the rate of absorption of knowledge and I think this
whole campus, whole atmosphere is very different and I think that’s
what is interesting.
How do you compare the academic environment with the other
universities in the country?
See, you are able to attract some of the best people. So, I cannot,
I have to imagine, because I have not gone through with curriculum
or coursework here. That in turn will result in very high quality
education. Because it all depends on the teachers. The physical
infrastructure anybody can see and which is good. It then depends
on teachers. And you are able to attract some of the best teachers.
More>>
Balu Doraisamy, CEO& President, HP-India
“In the space of a short period of time, Hewlett-Packard
India (HP) and Amrita University have established a distinctive
Industry-University Partnership by leveraging their mutual synergies
in knowledge creation and application and integration –
a unique collaboration where business excellence meets an academics-
research combine.
The Amrita fraternity is extensive and impressive – a rare
team comprising academicians, management and software professionals
and entrepreneur-managers who bring with them rich and varied
experience in research, industry and education from India and
abroad.
The B-School also boasts full time faculty from premier institutions
like Wharton, Kellogg, Cornell, Berkeley, IITs & IIMs –
most of whom have worked in global corporate organizations and
development projects around the wor ld. Indeed, the Vice-Chancellor
is a personal acquaintance and a singularly distinguished academician,
who at 33 was one of the Youngest Full Professors at the University
of California, San Diego.
The Amrita B-School has been taking the lead to establish several
working initiatives with industry. A recent example is the series
of MDPs they conducted in the area of Logistics Management and
Customer Satisfaction Management in which HP was a keen participant.
We look forward to more such initiatives and to a valuable and
rewarding association with Amrita.”
Hema Ravichandar
Sr. VP & Group Head-HR, Infosys Technologies Limited
 “Amrita
School of Business believes in energizing the bright young minds
through an environment that stimulates learning. Be it the lush
green surrounds with the hills in the backdrop, the harmonious
balance of academicians, entrepreneurs and researchers, or the
wealth of knowledge available with a faculty team through extensive
teaching and research work at well- known Universities across
the globe.
The Amrita University has taken a lead in education innovation
by launching a satellite network in its campus, which makes remote
learning very easy and throws open access to eminent professionals
and distinguished professors for the benefit of students.”
K. Jayaramakrishnan
Vice President-Sales, Tata Consultancy Services
“I have experienced the Amrita difference from close quarters.
At TCS I have been fortunate to travel/work overseas and got an
insight into the work ethic in different countries and organizations.
The distinctive characteristic that I have found at the Amrita
Vishwa Vidyapeetham, is the type of orientation and passion that
is displayed by the trustees, management, faculty and staff at
various levels. Some of the most qualified, experienced faculty/professionals
around the world have moved to the Amrita campus with the mission
of striving towards newer frontiers in knowledge and learning.
The holistic lifestyle that the students enjoy is unique —
the impact of which sometimes may be fully understood only later
in life.
I have been interacting with the Amrita School of Business and
had the opportunity to interface closely with its eminent group
of faculty. The School has rich domain experts in key management
disciplines — all of them from top US B-Schools or Indian
Institutes of Management and Technology. The B-School’s
initiatives in integrating industry experience and academics through
the medium of colloquia and Management Development Programmes
is a win-win methodology. In July 2004, for example, TCS had nominated
a few managers to a MDP on “Customer Satisfaction Management”
conducted by the B-School at their Coimbatore campus. We are now
in dialogue with Amrita School of Business for a customized Management
Advancement Programme for TCS.
Surely, a strong foundation during youth is the cornerstone of
success and a good way of life — and Amrita students enjoy
that advantage in good measure. That is why we had no hesitation
in admitting our son at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham at Coimbatore.”
Cognizant Solution's Vice President, Mohan Narayanan
and Director of research, Vaidya V. Nathan in
conversation :
 “In
his speech during the inauguration, Cognizant's vice president,
Mohan Narayanan, promised to strongly support the project, offering
industry insight, student counseling and job placement for Amrita
University graduates.
“This project is very significant because we want to work
alongside educational institutes," he said in an interview
with Amritapuri.org after the inauguration. "We want to align
them to the goals and needs of the industry-sector. We want to
support by helping and grooming the student. We chose the Amrita
Campus because of the quality of the campus and the facilities
and the quality of teaching that we saw there.This whole project
was conceived and developed in three months time, and it shows
the enormous drive of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. Our company
is watchful in choosing our partners, but here we see a great
potential!”
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