International Collaboration and R&D Cell , JNU
organizing a talk by
Prof. Bal Ram Singh
President, Institute of Advanced Sciences, Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA
on
Interrogating Vedantic Knowledge for International Advancement of Science and Technology
Tuesday, 12th Sept, at 3pm in Lecture Hall, JNU Convention Center
Abstract: Indigenous knowledge system throughout the world has been traditionally developed through the observation of and close interaction with nature. The knowledge was mostly the basis of European renaissance during 14th-17th century that has created the modern science and its derivative in terms of technology. The most comprehensive archive of the indigenous knowledge system is still in India, but remains mostly unexplored, despite its potential to transform the world from its current unsustainable path of exploiting natural resources for personal comfort and convenience. There is a monumental scope of international collaboration in mining the Vedantic knowledge and its epistemology for scientific understanding and appropriate technology, including biotechnology. India’s academic and intellectual class needs to take notice of this opportunity to find a purpose and provide international leadership in integrative sciences for a sustainable life.
Chair: Prof Anirban Chakraborty, School of Computational & Integrative Sciences
About the speaker : Prof Bal Ram Singh has been a professor since 1990 at UMass Dartmouth (until 2014) and Institute of Advanced Sciences (current), conducting research on the molecular mode of action of botulinum and tetanus neurotoxins, cranberry natural products, Ayurvedic and herbal products, and also on yoga, mind, and consciousness. He has published 12 books and nearly 300 articles, latest being Protein Toxins in Modeling Biochemistry (Springer, 2016). Dr. Singh is Editor/Associate Editor of four journals, including Biochemical and Biophysical Research Reports, Ayurveda Journal of Health and International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management, and is the Editor-in-Chief of Vedic WAVES, an online blog of the World Association of Vedic Studies. He is the President of the Institute of Advanced Sciences. At the Institute, he is also the Executive Mentor of the School of Indic Studies where his research includes Ayurvedic science and technology, Yoga and Consciousness, Vedic education pedagogy, and Vedic social and political traditions. He is also the President of Prime Bio, Inc., a biotech company of 19 years, working with botulinum and tetanus toxins, vaccines, antibodies, detection and diagnostics, drug delivery, biosensors, green chemistry, nanomaterials, and drug development. Dr. Singh has been visiting professor at Georgetown University, Harvard Medical School, Yang Ming University (Taiwan), and Jawaharlal Nehru University (India). He is an Honorary Professor at Amity University Haryana, Gurgaon, India, and Dean of International Academic Programs at Srimaharshi Research Institute of Vedic Technology (SRIVT), Guntur, AP, India. He is also Director of the Uberoi Foundation’s Teacher Training Program. Dr. Singh is the President and Director of Maryada Foundation (USA), a non-profit organization to promote science and education. He also the President of ABHAS (Antarrastriya Avadhi Bhasa Samiti) Foundation, located in Greater Boston, MA, USA. His honors and awards include Chancellor’s Innovative Teaching Award (1995), UMass Dartmouth; Scholar of the Year Award (1995), UMass Dartmouth; 1997 Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award. Dr. Singh’s other recognitions include 2004 University Service Award, UMass Dartmouth Alumni Association, New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce in 2008, Chancellor Colloquium Speaker at UMass Dartmouth in 2009. Dr. B. K. Singh Memorial Lecture speaker at Department of Chemistry, University of Allahabad, India, in 2010, A.C. Mukherjee Distinguished Annual Lecture Speaker, Department of Philosophy, Allahabad University, India, in 2012. In addition, Dr. Singh has been invited speakers to over 268 seminars and presentations, in addition to chairing dozens of meetings, conference and symposia sessions at national and international levels. Dr. Singh serves on the Boards of Directors of World Association of Vedic Studies (WAVES, (USA) and Education Society for the Heritage of India (ESHA, USA), Expert Advisor to Hindu University of America, Advisory Board of MLBD Research and Resource Foundation (India), Executive Committee, Center for Excellence in Integrative Medicine (Boston, MA), Founding Member, and Eirion Biopharma (NY). Dr. Singh has been consultant to several national and international biotech, biopharma, and legal companies. Dr Singh received his M.Sc. and M. Phil. Degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University, India in Life Sciences during 1979-1982, and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Texas Tech University in 1987.He completed his post-doctoral training in University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1990, before joining the faculty of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth