Twelveth Chairman’s lecture series

GEMS Arts & Science college (Affiliated University of Calicut) organized the Twelfth  Chairman's Lecture Series on 16th December 2024.  Brief introduction about the lecture series and the importance of such lectures by the prominent speakers were explained by Dr.BG Unni Director Academic and Research at the beginning of the lecture. Ms. Sultana Afroza Assistant Professor, Department of English Language and Literature introduced briefly about the distinguished chief guest of the day. Dr Renu Swarup, Former Secretary of Department of Biotechnology, Govt of India  was the speaker and she  spoke on the topic Biotechnology —Revolutionising Innovative Product development .Dr.Renu swarup initiated her lecture quoting the historical beginning of biotechnology  and  the current status of the biotechnology in our country and also talked about the development of biotechnology at  the benefit of the society. She recalled that  In the past century, people have witnessed how innovation has driven growth and  development across the globe. Countries around the world are increasingly investing in research and development (R&D) in science and technology to  boost productivity and 

address pressing development challenges. She mentioned that in India too, several government policies have been introduced to stimulate innovation to unleash the country’s true potential. It is well recognised that scientific  strength matched with entrepreneurship skill , has the potential to bring out products that could not only transform our country and economy, but also shape modern societies. She said that new technology breakthroughs have over years shown how new product development is a dynamically growing cycle .The pathway from new discovery to product development exhibits how knowledge driven translational science is imperative to drive bio economic growth .

         She mentioned in her lecture that in the recent years people  have seen how with the onset of the Pandemic in early 2020 , the world focussed its attention on the Scientists and researchers for finding science base solutions to fight this war .A tiny RNA virus brought the world to a grinding halt an impacted the health , economy and livelihood of mankind .The focus was on Biotechnology  to find affordable solutions for understanding and tackling the virus . From Gene sequencing to Diagnostics to Vaccines and antivirals , Biotechnology has been the key sector which very efficiently delivered new technologies and products to address the  challenges of COVID.  She said that unlike other Industrial sectors, Biotech has seen unprecedented growth and is well positioned to achieve a target of over $150b by 2025 .

   Dr.Swarup concluded her speech by mentioning that Biotechnology has continuously evolved and new emerging and disruptive technologies have given us the confidence of science solving major problems . From healthcare ,to agriculture to clean energy and climate change ,new technology advancements are  continuously helping  the people/society  to develop innovative ,affordable and accessible products which meet the needs of society and meet our sustainable development goals .The translational value chain should be fuelled continuously — we must continue to let  curiosity drive our innovation ,we must keep ourselves geared up to keep pace with the fast advancing technology development and ensure that  we have the required capacities both infrastructure and human resource . She said that biotechnology has the potential —- let us exploit its potentially fully to meet the unmet needs and revolutionise new product development

               A brief concluding remark  from the talk delivered by the former secretary of Department of Biotechnology ,and the importance of Dr.Swarup’s  lecture as on today in the academic institutions  was summarized by Dr.BG Unni. The lecture was attended by the faculties of GEMS college, and members from other institutions were also represented in the online platform The​.Chairman's lecture series ere always very much essential to improve the quality of the academic level, and will also provide an opportunity for the faculties and students to interact with the experts in their respective fields. The session ended with the vote of thanks by Dr.Naveen Mohan, principal of the to the speaker for delivering a highly informative lecture,and also all the participants attended the session online