To stimulate the development of indigenous high-end technology and broad base research activities, the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), Chandigarh, a premier establishment of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with PEC University of Technology on 11th Aug, 2016. The MoU was signed by Prof. Manoj K. Arora, Director, PEC University of Technology, Chandigarh and Shri Ashwagosh Ganju, Director, SASE Chandigarh in the presence of senior scientists and faculty from both the institutions.
The MoU will be focussed on providing cutting edge technological solutions to the Indian Armed Forces and the spin-offs will be for civilian applications. The thematic areas of mutual interest will be Numerical modelling of constitutive behavior of snow, construction in permafrost regions, GIS mapping using UAVs, High Performance Computing, Cold Region Instrumentation etc.
The programme is focussed at Joint research programmes, as defined from time to time, Periodic consultancy on various technical aspects at the PEC and the SASE, participation of PEC faculty in certain activities at the SASE and exchange of scientists and faculty members between the two organisations are included in the agreement.
The MoU also includes studies at the level of masters in technology as well as Ph.D programmes by DRDO scientists/SRFs/JRFs and PEC faculty through specially tailored courses. Given the SASE's field of activity, departments of civil engineering, electronics, computer science, aerospace and Mechanical engineering at the PEC are expected to have a greater role in the execution of the agreement.
Prof Arora in his concluding remarks stressed on faculty engagement by SASE scientists, Join projects with relevance to the society at large, Joint short term expert lectures, sharing of Technical Information Resorces and PEC students doing their experimental work at SASE laboratories. Shri Ganju stressed the need of a Centre of Excellence in Cold Region Science and Engineering, wherein PEC can take a lead.
The MoU will be for period of five years. The coordinators of the MoU at PEC will be Dr. Siby John and from SASE will be Dr H S Gusain.for executing a joint advanced scientific research programme.
