IIT-B logs on to research networking

If Harvard created social networking, students of the Indian Institute of Technology –Bombay (IIT-B) are moving a step ahead and creating research networking.

If Harvard created social networking, students of the Indian Institute of Technology –Bombay (IIT-B) are moving a step ahead and creating research networking. The institute has already begun work on it by creating research profiles of their students — a research engine as they call it — where details of students of research, patents and publications have been put up. Entirely student-driven, the web portal will be officially launched on Monday.

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The database aims at being a one-point source for accessing information on students research interests, current working area, publications, patents, contact details and any other relevant details.

Students can register and update information through their internal login credentials and the portal can be viewed by anyone anywhere.“This is the beginning of what we hope will be a platform for student research activities across universities,” said VSK Murthy Balijepalli, general secretary academic affairs, post graduate programmes.

“Soon, students outside IIT-B can create their research profiles and students with similar research interests can be added as research friends. We are also planning additional features such as research-based games, and news.”Already 40 postgraduate students maintain and update profiles on the website http://gymkhana.iitb.ac.in/academics/research/. It will soon be opened to undergraduate students. Students who have put up their profile on the portal tout it as the next big thing.