The Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology – India (FAST-India) is conducting the third edition of the India Science Festival (ISF) from January 8 to 23, 2022. ISF 2022 is a 15-day long virtual celebration of science and is open to all.
This festival aims to celebrate and explore science in every way possible by bringing together a diverse array of professionals to engage and inspire a wide-ranging audience.
This year’s festival, themed around “Continuum – where have we come from, where do we go?”, will explore the evolution of science and technology and its vital and intriguing intersections with culture, politics and society through a multitude of creative, thought-provoking and engaging programmes.
FAST-India’s CEO Jayant Krishna said, “Our foundation is delighted to present its flagship event, India Science Festival as a celebration of science and technology in India. Within a span of three years, it has already emerged as India’s largest non-governmental science communication platform. Our festival will feature some of the most celebrated speakers from the best-in-class universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, University of Cambridge, Stanford University, University of Oxford, IISc, IISERs, TIFR-NCBS, Ashoka University, and more! Apart from India, the countries represented have spanned across the world like the US, Canada, Japan, UK, continental Europe, China, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa, and several others. This year we would also have several scientists from government labs and S&T institutes from India participating in the festival.”
The festival has partnered with organisations including Social Alpha, The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University, National Science Centre – New Delhi, IndiaBioscience, Cactus Communications, Asian Century Foundation, MIT Knight Science Journalism Programme, Science Gallery Bengaluru, The Indian Express and DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance, to name a few, to offer people of all ages an opportunity to learn and engage in science that impacts our every daily lives and shapes our collective future.
ISF 2022 features live talks, panel discussions and fireside chats with eminent Indian and international experts in the fields of STEM, humanities, media and business. The line-up of speakers include Vijay Raghavan (principal scientific advisor to the Government of India), Jyotsna Dhawan (CEO, DBT/Wellcome Trust-India Alliance), Tarun Khanna (Harvard Business School, USA), Deborah Blum (Pulitzer prize-winning science journalist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA), Prof. Bhramar Mukherjee (biostatician, University of Michigan, USA), Kris Gopalakrishnan (chairman, Axilor Ventures, India) and Gagandeep Kang (microbiologist, CMC Vellore, India). These events promise to offer a window into some of the most exciting, cutting-edge discoveries and socially relevant science of our times.
The festival will also feature engaging discussions and panel sessions involving historians, artists, filmmakers, writers and other professionals working at the convergence of science, technology, media, history and art.
With a variety of unique and engaging workshops aimed at igniting and nurturing young people's interest in science, IFS will also include sessions on science comedy and improv, science policy for dummies, science fact-checking, careers in science, science communication, astronomy class, DIY science experiments for kids.The virtual PhD programme booth, a three-part workshop covering science writing, networking and marketing research using social media at the Festival, will offer a unique opportunity to PhD scholars and young researchers to hone their skills.
There will be a variety of competitions and contests for young students and science enthusiasts alike, such as TalkYourThesis (for MS/PhD students), SpinYourScience (science fiction writing) with science fiction author Shiv Ramdas and filmmaker Arati Kadav, Meme-Making and InQuizitive India (flagship science quiz competition) hosted by the popular stand-up comedian and quizmaster Kumar Varun.
Under this festival, FAST-India is also organising Science in Focus, a photography competition and exhibition with the National Science Centre, New Delhi. Participants have to send visual stories on the theme of ‘everyday science’ before January 23, 2022. This competition will allow participants to share their encounters with science in everyday life that would get people curious, excited and also be better informed. Anyone interested in photography can participate in this competition.
The shortlisted entries will be showcased at an exhibition at the preeminent National Science Centre. There will also be a photography workshop, talks and social media campaign for visitors of the exhibition centred around the many wonders at the National Science Centre.
Founded by Varun Aggarwal and Ashish Dhawan, FAST-India is a non-profit institution of excellence dedicated to build capacity and advancing policy solutions that foster scientific enquiry and research, and facilitate the creation, and dissemination and translation of new scientific knowledge in India.
Last updated on 08 Jan 2022
