CSE students grab the coveted MITACS Globalink Research Internship
“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it”– Paulo Coelho.
Be it a dream or a wish, when you are determined to pursue what the mind really wants, SRM University-AP helps you reach that goal. Ms Pragya Gupta and Ms Swikriti Khadke joined SRM AP with vibrant dreams, and in their third year, they have attained the prestigious Mitacs Globalink Research Internship. The students from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering will spend three months in Canadian universities as a part of this fully-funded research internship. Ms Swikriti will intern at Université du Québec en Outaouais – Gatineau on the research project titled “Systematic PV farm power losses calculation and modelling using computational intelligence techniques”. Ms Pragya will be going to Athabasca University – Edmonton as a research intern to work on the project titled “Blockchains for Data Storage and Mining in Learning Analytics”.
About Mitacs Globalink Research Internship
Mitacs Globalink Research Internship is a highly competitive programme that pairs top-ranked international students having specific research expertise from 15 countries worldwide with faculty at top Canadian academic institutions. This is a twelve (12) week research project of mutual interest between May and October 2022. The Canadian host faculty project leader makes selections by verifying the student’s background and skills in the research area and the unique contribution they will be made to the research during the stay. As a fully-funded programme, Mitacs and AICTE will administer the grant. Students can choose from about 14k+ projects in disciplines like Engineering, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and the Humanities.
Mitacs will be responsible for providing the following to the students:
1. An airfare stipend of Can$1,500;
2. A stipend of Can$175 to contribute to the cost of transportation from the Canadian airport to accommodation unless otherwise arranged by your host institution
3. A stipend of Can$200 per week for living expenses
4. Ensure that students receive Canadian medical insurance.
5. A daily allowance of Can$45 for housing for the duration of the research internship.
6. A stipend of Can$300 for any student fees charged by the Canadian host institution
7. Reimbursement of immigration permit application fees (as required to participate in the research internship — up to a maximum of Can$240)
8. A stipend of Can$500 for any COVID-19-related expenses (e.g., COVID test, quarantine, expenses incurred during isolation, etc.)
The journey, in Pragya and Swikriti’s words:
The journey from applying for MITACS to getting selected as one of the GRI interns in one of the top-ranked universities in Canada was no less than a dream come true. The registration process included filling out an application form which was the most important step and a complicated one. This was also an elimination stage for many because writing down all our details in a limited number of words was quite difficult and challenging. After submitting the application form, the details about the Matching round were intimated in November. We received emails for the interview round from the professor himself. It was a technical interview that comprised of questions regarding our work experience, knowledge about the technology we will be contributing to the project during the internship, and personal details. The interview lasted for 30-45 mins, after which the professor assigned us some tasks to assess our knowledge regarding the topic. After completing and submitting the task, around Mid December, we received a congratulatory mail regarding our selection for MITACS GRI 2022, which will commence from May 2022 and continue for the next three months.
The Globalink Graduate Fellowship offers former Globalink research interns:
■ Direct financial support from Mitacs
■ Recognition as Globalink alumni
■ The opportunity to work with Canada’s research supervisors during your graduate studies
■ Additional exposure to the Canadian research and innovation landscape and increased Canadian experience.
A note of gratitude
“We would like to thank SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh, for helping us build our skills and supporting us throughout the process. Our university management has always been kind and helpful to its students to explore new opportunities and create new relations. We would like to extend our gratitude to our mentors, Dr Goutam Kumar Dalapati and Dr Anil K Suresh, for their continuous support, guidance, and motivation. Last but not least, our parents have been our support system throughout our journey”.
- Published in Blog, CSE NEWS, Departmental News, News, Research, Students Achievements
J Abbas Mohammed grabbed a staggering offer of CTC 44.91 LPA
J Abbas Mohammad was in a state of absolute euphoria as the news reached him. He has been placed with Predli, a top-performing AI company, with a staggering offer of CTC 44.91 LPA. With one more achievement to flaunt, SRM is surging ahead with an endless list of placement offers and achievement stories. Abbas is a final year student of the Department of Computer Science Engineering who has already demonstrated his calibre by grabbing a seat at UC Berkeley through the Semester Abroad Programme. His sheer will and dedication have always helped him break the records and fly to further heights.
SRM University-AP happened to be the perfect place that shaped him up to pursue the career of his dreams. Our collaboration with leading enterprises in the world turned out to be an excellent avenue for many to walk ahead to a horizon of opportunities. The Department of Corporate Relations & Careers Services is also doing an amazing job in training the students and encouraging them to apply for the best available prospects. Let us listen to Abbas as he pours out his excitement.
“I am truly delighted to have received this high-paying placement offer. And all of this became possible with the exposure I received from my university. I kept abreast of the latest technologies in the software industry and applied them through practical projects as part of our co-curricular activities in classrooms and university labs such as the Next Tech Lab. The experienced faculty and specially curated curriculum we follow here will always give an extra edge to the students. I am indeed thankful to Dr Sujith Kalluri and Dr Priyanka for assisting me on several occasions”, he said.
“It is the Semester Abroad Program at UC Berkeley, which allowed me to build a strong international networks, that eventually led to this offer. I’m immensely fortunate to land the job of my dream. In future, I hope to advance professionally and adapt to greater leadership roles with the goal of starting my own venture”, remarked Abbas.
- Published in CR&CS, CR&CS NEWS, CSE NEWS, Departmental News, News, Students Achievements
Introducing perovskite-based catalyst for microbial fuel cell
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are biochemical systems producing green energy through the microbial degradation of organic contaminants in wastewater. The Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) that takes place at MFC cathode decides the overall output of energy generation. Hence, the selection of ORR catalyst becomes pivotal in MFC fabrication for its efficiency and cost effectiveness. Gopa Nandikes P, PhD Scholar, Department of Environmental Science, proposes perovskite-based nanocatalyst as an excellent replacement to Platinum in his paper “Perovskite-Based Nanocomposite Electrocatalysts: An alternative to Platinum ORR Catalyst in Microbial Fuel Cell Cathodes”. The paper is published in ‘Energies Journal’ having an Impact Factor of 3.04.
The paper comprehensively summarises all the studies conducted with perovskite-based ORR catalyst in MFC, its unique reaction mechanism and the synergistic effect with carbon. The paper also throws light into various challenges and prospects to further improve the ORR activity of perovskite-based catalysts.
Abstract of the Research
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are biochemical systems having the benefit of producing green energy through the microbial degradation of organic contaminants in wastewater. The efficiency of MFCs largely depends on the cathode oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). A preferable ORR catalyst must have good oxygen reduction kinetics, high conductivity, and durability, together with cost-effectiveness. Platinum-based electrodes are considered a state-of-the-art ORR catalyst. However, the scarcity and higher cost of Pt are the main challenges for the commercialization of MFCs; therefore, in search of an alternative, cost- effective catalysts, those such as doped carbons and transition-metal based electrocatalysts have been researched for more than a decade. Recently, perovskite-oxide based nanocomposites have emerged as a potential ORR catalyst due to their versatile elemental composition, molecular mechanism, and the scope of nanoengineering for further developments. In this article, we discuss various studies conducted and opportunities associated with perovskite-based catalysts for ORR in MFCs. Special focus is given to a basic understanding of the ORR reaction mechanism through oxygen vacancy, modification of its microstructure by introducing alkaline earth metals, electron transfer pathways and the synergistic effect of perovskite and carbon. At the end, we also propose various challenges and prospects to further improve the ORR activity of perovskite-based catalysts.
- Published in Departmental News, ENVS News, News, Research News
E-Cell organised induction programme on entrepreneurial leadership
The Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation organised an induction programme, “Ushering the Next Era- Innovation, Leadership & Entrepreneurship”, to give the students a comprehensive overview of the emerging possibilities in entrepreneurship. Various students who have successfully initiated their own start-up ideas have also shared their experiences.
Udayan Bakshi, Associate Director- Entrepreneurship, introduced the students to the country’s business landscape and rendered them a brief picture of the start-up ecosystem of India. Substantiating his arguments using facts and figures, he instigated the students to develop an innovative spirit and don the role of entrepreneurs capable of transforming the face of the nation.
Prof B V Babu, Dean- School of Engineering and Sciences, presided over and spoke about the legacy of the university. He also reminded the students of the ample avenues left open for students to explore and experience. “We aspire to offer a wholesome learning experience to our students through a gamut of courses ranging from engineering to fine arts and management”, he said. When it comes to entrepreneurship, there are pioneering ventures like Hatchlab Research Centre and Next Tech Lab to support and motivate young researchers who can promote the commercial research culture.
Prof Prakash Jadhav, Head- Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (IDEA), enlightened students on the inevitability of trying their hands at entrepreneurship as the country demands more job providers than job seekers to satiate the needs of the growing population. He also coaxed the students to contribute to the Make in India vision by exhibiting their innovatory leadership skills.
A few of our students, Lucklin Medimpudi, Jathin, Divi Gnanesh, Lakshman Tatikonda, Manaswini Surusomayajula, and Himansh Mudigonda, who have displayed their entrepreneurial acumen through ingenious start-up ideas went on to share their experiences and encouraged the students to become part of the E-Cell.
The session was later taken over by Manideep Surusomayajula who elaborated on various initiatives such as the student communities, exploratory competition, and the experiential learning platforms, the E-Cell has embarked on to train our students to perform to the best of their abilities in the industry. There are numerous platforms ranging from international collaborations to global mentorship programmes and women-led start-up initiatives for students to innovate themselves as individuals and as a team.
Mr Bakshi wrapped up the event by referring to the triumphant stories the SRM AP E-cell has witnessed. He reinstated the university’s vision to build strong professionals who can assume the position of entrepreneurial leaders and play a crucial role in nation-building. SRM AP aims to give rise to dozens of skilful professionals having the ability to motivate and inspire sweeping changes that can help the nation progress.