Somaiya Vidyavihar University Organised a National Symposium on Polymer Science and Technology 

S.K Somaiya College & Society of Polymer Science India Organised this event on the occasion of Padma Shri Dr. S. Sivaram’s 75th Birthday

by Suman Gupta

Mumbai, 9th May 2022: Somaiya Vidyavihar University Organised a 2-day National Symposium Event on Polymer Science and Technology on 6th and 7th May 2022. It was in collaboration with the Society of Polymer Science India (SPSI) and the Department of Polymer Science, S K Somaiya College. The inaugural address was given by Prof. M M Sharma, FRS Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. It was followed by keynote speeches from Dr. R A Mashelkar, FRS Former Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, Mr. Ashwin Dani, Director, Asian Paints, Mumbai, Prof. S Ramakrishnan, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore & Dr. Ashish K Lele, Council of Scientific and Industrial  Research-National Chemical  Laboratory, Pune.

A special feature of the symposium was the Festschrift Session commemorating the 75th Birthday of Dr S. Sivaram, Ex-Director of National Chemical Laboratory Pune. He is one of the founding members of the Society for Polymer Science India and has significantly contributed to the development of the Polymer Science discipline in India. Additionally, a special Endowment Lecture was organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

The symposium offered opportunities for academicians, researchers, and industrial practitioners in the diverse fields of Polymer Science and Technology to get together, present and discuss the recent academic and industrial innovations. Spread over two days, it featured plenary talks, invited lectures, discussions, and deliberations by eminent speakers from academia and industry across India. The event was supported by a large number of industry giants across sectors like Reliance Industries Limited, Pidilite Industries, PRAJ Industries, American Chemical Society, Gharda Chemicals Limited & Royal Society of Chemistry. Some of the topics that were discussed during the event consisted of Polymer Synthesis and Characterisation, Polyolefins, Rheology and Polymer Processing, New Chemical Processes for Polymer Synthesis, Polymer Additives, Supramolecular Polymers, and Sustainability among many others.

Prof. M M Sharma, FRS Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai speaking at the event said, “Polymers have an amazing range of properties & sometimes it’s bizarre to identify its applications. The pandemic has brought versatility & indispensability to Polymers in so many ways. From gloves to aprons to syringes, everything consists of polymers. The utilisation of nanomaterials in technologies for renewable energy and sustainability applications continues to represent an important area of academic and commercial research. This will lead to a major breakthrough in the field of Polymers. Engineering Plastics have revolutionised & Polymers have seen the rigours of Science & Technology in recent times.  From Military aircraft to Civilian Aircrafts & service industry all have benefited from the Polymers. Synthetic polymers play a vital role in medicine and bioplastics can supplant routine plastics in the field. Polymers will be the bigger solution for plastics and will play an important role in the future. ”

Sharing his thoughts, Padma Shri Dr. S. Sivaram, Ex-Director of National Chemical Laboratory Pune, said “Industry academia is a relationship and not simply a contract; it is the time in which we invest to build a relationship. Investing time in generating trust & faith is a key factor to achieving a significant position in life & things that are transactional are very ephemeral. Polymers that are manufactured in the plastic industry have witnessed massive growth in the global market and offer services to a wide range of industries such as building and construction, and electronics and it has a high demand in vertical industries such as food, beverages, and packaging, etc.”

V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai- Vice-Chancellor, Somaiya Vidyavihar University said, “We are extremely privileged to connect with some eminent personalities from the Polymer Industry space. The Department of Polymer Science offers a path-breaking Industry-Academia Joint-Taught Programme which aims to provide the student with specialised skills in the polymer field. We are ecstatic to have these industry spokespeople share their personal and professional journey and inspire students to explore the field of polymer science.”

A poster session was planned for the participants to showcase their scientific work and participate in the best poster awards which included 8 different categories. A few abstracts were selected by the organising committee for oral presentation. This provided an opportunity for teachers and students to interact with Leaders of the Academia and Industry.