IITMIC-SSN iFound agreement Chennai, November 1. The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC) signed a partnership agreement with SSN Incubation Foundation (SSN iFound), Chennai, the incubation and innovation wing of the city-based SSN College of Engineering. Under the agreement, IITMIC will support SSN iFound to develop an ecosystem “that nurtures a culture of building things and provides incubation support to promising entrepreneurial ventures”. As a first step, IITMIC will support SSN iFound to establish a students managed Build Club to create a products building culture among students. Moreover, IITMIC and SSN iFound will select startups with potential for co-incubation. “India needs young entrepreneurs more than ever, to actively contribute to economic development. We want to nurture their entrepreneurial spirit from early stage through Build Clubs, which will encourage them to build products on their own. Through partnering with SSN iFound, we believe we can achieve this,” said Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, president of the IIT-Madras Research Park and IITMIC, speaking on the occasion. Plaksha U founding chancellor New Delhi, November 3. Plaksha University, Mohali (estb.2021), a new genre collective philanthropy technology and research varsity, has appointed Dr. S. Shankar Sastry founding chancellor of the institution. Dr. Sastry is currently Thomas Siebel distinguished professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley (UC) and previously served for over a decade (2007-18) as dean of engineering at UC. “Dr. Sastry is a globally respected academic leader and institution builder. We have been very fortunate to have him as chair of our Academic Advisory Board for the past five years. Now we are delighted to have him join as chancellor. He epitomizes the idea of reimagining higher education and building a vibrant higher education ecosystem that supports high-impact research. I am confident his in-depth professional experience, knowledge, and leadership will guide Plaksha University to craft a unique learning experience for our students,” says Neeraj Aggarwal, chairman (Asia Pacific) of the Boston Consulting Group and founder-chairperson of the Board of Trustees. “The opportunity to head Plaksha University that has a unique model of being a modern research university with new pedagogies and outlook, is a privilege and exciting challenge for me. I look forward to working with the team at Plaksha and steering this new 21st century university to greater heights,” said Dr. Shankar Sastry, speaking on the occasion. Koneru Rama Krishna Rao Building Visakhapatnam, October 31. Former vice president of India M. Venkaiah Naidu, formally renamed the main block of the GITAM School of Humanities and Social Sciences (GSHSS) of GITAM University, Vizag as the Koneru Rama Krishna Rao Building after the former chancellor of the university. An iconic Gandhian scholar, renowned philosopher, psychologist and educationist, Dr. Rao has endowed an unsolicited donation of Rs.4.5 crore to GSHSS. The committed amount will be used to conduct training programmes/workshops for students and teachers; support research projects that benefit society, promote rural literacy, and provide scholarships to needy meritorious students. “Koneru Rama Krishna Rao’s commitment to Gandhian values was one of the strong bonding…
