The History of IISc Bangalore
The Indian Institute of Science or IISc is one of the most esteemed institutes of the sciences and engineering.
Conceived in the late 1800s by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata and officially established in 1909 in Bengaluru, IISc is imbued with history. To set up the institute, a gigantic area of 371 acres was gifted by the Mysore Durbar. One must travel back in time to understand the institute’s strife to constantly contribute to revolutionary research and unique innovation. A discussion of its integral part in World War II is imperative to trace the first steps that the institute took in the vast field of the applied sciences. IISc’s Aeronautical Engineering department was tasked with the repair and maintenance of British and American war planes, and the students of the Electrical technology department designed a transmitter to make communication between the Royal Air Force and London possible.
Started with simply two departments of General and Applied Chemistry and Electrical Technology, the institute today has established more than 40 departments across the numerous fields of science. Focused on training programs for science teachers, among other things, a new campus in Challekere, Karnataka, has also been set up.
Workshops form the backbone of classroom learning in IISc Bangalore
Since its inception, IISc’s goal has been to equip its students with an understanding of the real-world applications of their respective courses. To this end, several technical workshops, lectures on emerging research in biology, symposiums, conferences, presentations, internet-based courses and campus placements are conducted.
The workshops are not only based on academics. Due to its diverse student body, culture is deeply entrenched in IISc. The Gymkhana Student Affairs Committee (GSAC) acts as a bridge between the students and the administration of the institute, always encouraging students from all streams to participate in various sports, cultural endeavours and other extra-curricular activities. The Gymkhana also runs archery, kung fu, swimming and photography clubs among many others.
In addition to student exchange programs, the Office of International Relations at the IISc provides research opportunities to both Indian and foreign students. The four major international fellowships offered to Indian students are the
- National Environmental Sciences Fellows Programme
- United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF)
- DAAD Fellowship
- Raman-Charpak Fellowship
Foreign students from countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Singapore are welcomed by the institute for its Ph.D. programs, thus fostering learning in a cross-cultural environment. Accommodation and a stipend that is equal to the amount paid to Indian students are also provided by the institute.
Other than the regular Ph. D and undergraduate courses, short ancillary courses are also organized by the institute for its students. The Global Initiative for Academic Networks makes it possible to arrange courses taught by distinguished teachers from across the world.
Workshop schedules at IISc Bangalore
IISc Bangalore workshops are not sporadic events. A steady flow of workshops based on all courses are arranged by the institute throughout the year. Refer to the News and Events page on the institute’s website to be informed about the workshops arranged by IISc. However, the two most popular events of IISC that merit detailed discussion is the What after College (WAC) workshop and the technical fest.
[slideshare id=80609632&doc=lr-waccollegecoverage-171009135435]WAC Workshops
Conducted by the Vidyavilla Foundation, the two-day What After College workshop provides career counseling to those who sign up for it. Corporate giants and esteemed faculty from various institutes provide guidance to students, helping them to pick a career that they’ll excel at. These stalwarts also support the college management to keep up with latest trends and technology to provide holistic education to students.
Pravega
This three-day technology and science fest organized by the undergraduate students of IISc Bangalore workshops attracts a gamut of science professionals, researchers, and students. Conducted in January, this year’s workshops, just to name a few, were based on topics like ethical hacking, Android-controlled robotics and augmented reality. Registrations to participate in the activities and workshops at Pravega start months before the actual fest. IISc-specific merchandise is also given away as prizes to winners of some of the workshops.
Who can participate in the IISc workshops?
As far as the WAC workshop and Pravega are concerned, students from all over the country can attend these two events. However, some short courses such as the ones for the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme can only be taken by members of the faculty of science. To know about the eligibility criteria for specific courses, refer to the respective course pages on the IISc Website.
The importance of events and workshops conducted by IISC Bangalore
IISc is an institute that is more than a century old. Eminent physicists like Sir C.V. Raman have taught students of this institute. In these last hundred years, IISc Bangalore Workshops has gradually honed its teaching techniques and methods, blessed by the guidance and patronage of many scientific scholars. Its faculty and students are carefully hand-picked from thousands of brilliant applicants who have excelled in their respective fields. Therefore, it is natural that experts from around the globe frequent IISc Bangalore Workshops to deliver lectures and conduct hands-on technical workshops. Who wouldn’t want to learn from the best minds and miss the opportunity of a lifetime?
Up-to-date with the latest scientific research and technology, few other institutes offer students the pedagogical magnificence that IISc does. The workshops also help students to explore their varied interests and talents, while giving them the chance to interact and connect with expert professionals.
Reaching IISc Bangalore
Bangalore is a bustling city and is also known as India’s IT hub. It is well-connected to the other metropolitan cities of the country like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai by road, rail and air. Flights from these cities to Bangalore usually take a little over or under three hours. Commonly referred to as the ‘Tata Institute’ by the local people of Bangalore, IISc lies 35-kilometers away from the Bangalore airport. Expect to pay around Rs. 700 if you take a prepaid taxi or Rs. 300 if you opt for an AC bus to travel to the institute from the airport.
If there is time to spare, then travelling by train is definitely a more economical option. There are three railway stations in Bangalore:
- City Railway Station
- Cantonment Railway Station
- Yeshwanthpur Railway Station
The first two stations are at a distance of 7-8 kilometers from IISc. Autos and taxis are easily available from these stations. The Yeshwanthpur railway station is closest to the institute and auto rides from this station to the institute cost about Rs. 40 only.
More information on how to reach IISc Bangalore can be found on the institute’s website https://www.iisc.ac.in/.
The address of the institute is CV Raman Rd, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012.
Workshops to look forward to at IISc Bangalore
The three upcoming IISC Bangalore workshops are
- Integrative Modeling of Macromolecular RNA structures, August 27
- Environment Management (XVI session), Sept-Dec 2018 (Internet based Course)
- Lake 2018: Conference on Conservation and Sustainable Management of Riverine Ecosystems, November 22.
To know more about the other events and workshops that
IISc Bangalore is scheduled to conduct, please visit this site: https://www.iisc.ac.in/news-events/events-upcoming/.
Registrations to workshops and events begin way before the start date. Because of the sheer number of applicants, getting a chance to be registered and selected can be quite grueling. So, it is important to keep checking the events page to be well-informed. The eligibility criteria and other workshop details must be read carefully. The institute conducts strong background checks and slippages are not overlooked. check out the upcoming workshops at IISc Bangalore.
