Heritage Institute of Technology associated with IIChE to organise a National Symposium

Green Oscar winner & India's Solar Man ignites students at National Symposium: Recent Trends in Sustainable Technology Techno Commercial Development – Special Lecture Series on Renewable Energy in IIChE Students' Chapter ChEM-SPARK 2022

With the support of IQAC, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata (HITK), Department of Chemical Engineering, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata (HITK), in association with the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers (IIChE) Students’ Chapter organized a National Symposium on 'Recent Trends in Sustainable Technology' on 9^th – 10^th September 2022 under the banner of ChEM-SPARK 2022. The program was addressed by Prof. Chiranjib Bhattacharjee (virtually), Pro VC & Professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering, Jadavpur University as the Chief Guest and India's Solar Man Prof. S.P.Gon Chaudhuri, Director, NB Institute for Rural Technology as the Guest of Honour.

During the inaugural address, Prof. S.P.Gon Chaudhuri spoke about the role of engineers in creating sustainable technology beneficial for mankind. "Today's engineers should create new technologies which have a positive impact on sustainable development," said Prof. Chaudhuri during the inaugural address. Citing the example of renewable energy, he told the budding engineers that they should create technology for development but that development should lead to sustainable living rather than focusing on destroying mankind.

Prof. Chiranjib Bhattacharjee gave some illustrated examples of the renewable energy sector and gave a brief on the need for a sustainable process. The session also witnessed the address of Mr Pradip Agarwal, CEO, Heritage Group of Institutions, Prof. Basab Chaudhuri, principal, Heritage Institute of Technology, Mr Abhijit Mitra, Chairman, IIChE Calcutta Regional Center, and Prof. Sulagna Chatterjee, Head of the Department, Department of Chemical Engineering, HITK. Book of Abstracts for the National Symposium was inaugurated by the dignitaries on the dais.

On the 9th of September, 2022 inaugural session was followed by a technical session, where three technical speakers Dr Soumyadip Choudhury, Assistant Professor, Rubber Technology, IIT-KGP, Dr Mahesh Kumar Gagrai, Senior Scientist, Membrane and Separation Technology Division, CSIR-CGCRI, Kolkata and Mr Soumya Ghosal, Section Lead – Reliability, Vikram Solar Ltd., West Bengal, India had deliberated their lectures. Three speakers opened up three avenues of renewable energy through a selection of insightful topics pertinent to the forthcoming energy sector. During almost three hours of their session, audiences gained a complete understanding of the expansion of the renewable energy market from Li-ion batteries to biomass energy to solar energy. On 10^th September 2022, on the second day of the National symposium, two other veteran speakers Dr Dipendu Saha, Chair of Chemical Engineering, Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania, USA and Mr Rwitam Mitra, Engineering Manager-System Simulation Methods, Onshore Wind, GE Renewable Energy Division, Bengaluru, India had delivered lectures through Zoom. Dr Saha had unveiled a new topic in the renewable energy sector, which might pose an appetite to know the unknowns on the application of rare earth metals in the energy market. While Mr Mitra delivered a topic on the onshore field installation of a wind turbine, most pertinent to the students who are willing to opt for this sector for their future endeavours. Not restricted to only the technical presentation, there was also a technical session on 9^th September 2022 comprising of oral and poster presentations in hybrid mode, where the participation happened from across India. Best oral and poster sessions were awarded in the event.