– Paromita Sengupta (Bengaluru)

Dr. Rajeevan Madhavan Nair aka India’s Climate Man by India’s scientific community, is the Vice Chancellor of Atria University, Bengaluru (AU, estb 2018). Founded by the Atria Group conglomerate chairman Dr. Sunder Raju, AU is India’s first liberal STEM university which offers an interdisciplinary model of education with students working on over 30 real-world projects and engaging in 12-month industry immersion programmes.

Newspeg. In February, the university launched a hi-tech Atria Beyonder Lab, an applied innovation and venture platform that takes research further by supporting the incubation of early stage start-ups across fields such as green hydrogen, biomedical innovation and advanced materials.

“AU operates as a Living Laboratory for sustainable innovation. Students engage with applied research from the undergraduate level itself, working alongside domain experts on projects that are designed to produce scalable, real-world outcomes,” says Dr. Nair.

History. A science postgrad of Madurai Kamaraj University with a doctorate in physics from Savitribhai Phule University, Pune Dr. Nair acquired over three decades of rich experience in atmospheric and climate sciences, having served in leading scientific institutions including the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune. Between 2015-2021, he served as Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences where he led the Deep Ocean Mission, a Rs.4,200 crore national program on ocean exploration, resources, and deep-sea technology. In 2023, he was appointed Vice Chancellor of Atria University.

Direct talk. “Unfortunately Climate Science and Earth System Sciences are still not widely taught across many Indian universities. While universities traditionally focus on climate science and modelling, there is a pressing need to broaden the curriculum. Especially given India’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070, there is an urgent need to build a skilled workforce in these areas. Universities should therefore design interdisciplinary programs that combine science, economics, policy, and technology, enabling graduates to contribute effectively to both national and global climate goals. In addition, aligning academic programs with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will help students understand the broader societal context and equip them with interdisciplinary skills required for the evolving climate economy,” says Dr. Nair.

Future plans. Given the limited coverage of climate science and earth-science technology at Atria University. Dr. Nair has drawn up a blueprint to address this lacunae. “Plans are underway to launch a Masters degree program in Earth Science Technology, along with a Bachelors degree program in Sustainable Entrepreneurship. These programs are designed to integrate scientific understanding with technology and innovation, thereby preparing students to address real-world challenges related to climate and sustainability,” says Dr. Nair.

Also Read: Steve Hardgrave: Financing India’s Low-Cost Schools for High-Impact Education