Newsletter of the Service for Science and Technology (SST), French Embassy in India

INDO-FRENCH SCIENCE

AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Issue 21, April 2016

«Dear Colleagues from India & France,

The 2016 year has started very fruitfully, and I invite you in this Newsletter to read about the latest news and initiatives carried out by the Indo-French cooperation in science and technology. A few highlights to begin with… Mr François Hollande, President of France, visited India in January, an occasion to highlight the Indo-French cooperation in science and technology. The 11th R&D Club meeting was held in Bombay in 18th of January, and the 29th governing body of CEFIPRA took place in New Delhi in March 4th.

In February, the Service for Science and Technology, French Embassy in India organized an Indo-French workshop on Innovation at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) in Bangalore. Part of the College de France lecture series programme in India, the Centre for Social Sciences and Humanities, New Delhi, and the French Institute in India were also partners of this event. We are also very happy to announce the launching of the new call for candidatures of the Raman-Charpak fellowship programme (see page 5). Last year, more than 200 applications had been received from Indian and French PhD students, and 22 laureates had been selected. Those laureates had the opportunity to carry out part of their research work (two to six months) in a foreign University/Institute based in France/India. Bonne lecture ! »

Dr. Philippe Arhets, Science Counsellor

INDO-FRENCH COLLÈGE DE FRANCE INNOVATION WORKSHOP

A two-day Indo-French Collège de France Innovation

Workshop was organized on 24th

& 25th

February 2016

at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS),

Bangalore. This event was organized by the Service for

Science and Technology (SST), French Embassy in India,

in collaboration with the Centre for Social Sciences and

Humanities (CSH), New Delhi, the French Institute in

India (IFI-SCAC), New Delhi, the Collège de France, Paris,

and the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS),

Bangalore. This workshop gathered distinguished

luminaries from India and France to discuss multiple

aspects of Innovation, be it scientific, technological,

educational, societal, economic or political.

The “Indo-French Collège de France Workshop on

Innovation” provided a platform for experts from both

countries to come together and brainstorm the

different dimensions of innovation. During these two days, they shared their thoughts during 5 thematic sessions addressing the following topics “Innovation and Medicine”,

“Political, Legal and Societal Innovations and Modernities”, “Innovation and Technologies for Energy”, “Informatics as the new Innovation Lever”,

and “Innovation in Economics and the Economics of Innovation”. A panel discussion entitled “Innovation, Democracy and Institutions” concluded

the event, along with keynote remarks.

Report of the event can be downloaded on http://frenchscienceindia.org/index.php/our-previous-guests/264-the-college-de-france-thematic-

workshop-in-india-2016

(left to right) General Consul François Gautier, Prof V.S. Ramamurthy, Prof Sharat Chandra, Prof Anne Cheng during the inauguration

INDO-FRENCH SCIENCE

AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Issue 21, April 2016

Newsletter of the Service for Science and Technology (SST), French Embassy in India

2

FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANÇOIS HOLLANDE’S VISIT TO INDIA

HIGHLIGHT ON INDO-FRENCH COLLABORATION IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Nine months after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to

France, in April 2015, French President François Hollande was in state

visit in India on 24th, 25th and 26th January 2016, and participated as

Guest of Honour to the 67th Indian Republic Day celebration.

On Sunday 24th January, President François Hollande and Prime

Minister Narendra Modi were in Chandigarh, a city designed by French

architect Le Corbusier. The two leaders took the opportunity of

visiting the exhibition of the archaeological results of the Indo-French

mission lead by Dr Mukesh Singh, president of the Society of

Archaeological and Anthropological Research of Chandigarh, and Dr

Anne Dambricourt Malasse, palaeo-anthropologist, department of

prehistory, National Museum of Natural History, Paris.

On Monday 25th January, the French President and Indian Prime

Minister welcomed several cooperative agreements signed in the

fields of Science & Technology, Higher Education, and space amongst

others, illustrating the dynamism of the Indo-French cooperation in

these domains:

(i) Agreement between the Indian Institute of Science Education and

Research (IISER) Pune and the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS) de

Lyon.

(ii) Agreement between the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai

and the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) /

Télécom Bretagne / Université de Bretagne occidentale / Université de

Bretagne Sud / ENSTA Bretagne (National Institute of Advanced

Technologies of Brittany) / ENI Bretagne (French National Engineering

School).

(iii) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for sponsored Ph.D.

Fellowships between Thalès (French multinational company), the

CNRS and the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai.

They also welcomed the establishment of a Ministerial-level Joint

Committee on Science and technology cooperation to foster the

partnership between both the two countries in this area through

multi-stakeholder participation.

The two Leaders expressed their satisfaction about the role played by

the Indo-French Centre for Promotion of Advance Research (CEFIPRA)

over the last 28 years in promoting collaboration between the

scientific communities of the two countries across the knowledge

innovation chain. They encouraged CEFIPRA to expand its role by

implementing bilateral programmes in partnership with various

scientific agencies and industries, both in France and India.

Finally, recalling the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of Indo-French space cooperation in 2015, two Implementing Arrangements between the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) where signed, respectively dedicated to the cooperation in definition studies on a future joint Thermal Infrared Earth Observation mission and the hosting of the French instrument for data collection on India’s Oceasnsat-3 satellite. The Leaders expressed confidence that these missions would contribute significantly to the monitoring of the environment, weather, water resources and coastal zones and further strengthen the partnership between the two countries. The participation of CNES in future space and planetary exploration missions of the ISRO was also announced on this occasion.

A PUBLICATION BY THE FRENCH INSTITUTE IN PONDICHERRY The book "Shadows of Gods: an archive and its

images" jointly published by the French Institute of

Pondicherry (IFP) and the Pondicherry Centre of the

French School of Asian Studies (EFEO), have been

released in New Delhi on January 25, 2016 by Indian

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President

François Hollande.

Shadows of Gods: an archive and its images or how a

French collection of photographies for scientific

purposes became a cooperation tool with India to

trace stolen idols and art, and catch international

traffickers who pillage Indian heritage. The Photo

Archive of the IFP and the EFEO was started in 1956. It

is a unique resource for visual information about

South India in the second half of the twentieth

century, focusing on temple art. As of today it has over 1,35,000 images covering South Indian iconography, temple architecture and rituals. It is

a precious testimony to the rich culture of South India, and serves as a way to keep our memory of such invaluable heritage alive.

French President François Hollande and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

INDO-FRENCH SCIENCE

AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Issue 21, April 2016

Newsletter of the Service for Science and Technology (SST), French Embassy in India

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29th MEETING OF

GOVERNING BODY OF CEFIPRA

The 29th meeting of governing body of CEFIPRA was held on 4th March 2016 at the CEFIPRA Offices, in New Delhi. Representatives from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and French Ministry of Research and Higher Education were participating. It was also the opportunity for the Indian Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Harsh Vardhan, to visit the CEFIPRA and to learn more about its activities and some of its projects.

11th R&D CLUB MEETING IN MUMBAI

The 11th R&D Club Meeting took place at the Nehru Centre in Mumbai on Tuesday, 12th January, 2016 as a part of the Wave Innovation Exhibition produced by BNP Paribas. This Exhibition was curated by Mr. Navi Radjou, co-author of Frugal Innovation and Jugaad Innovation.

Mr. Navi RADJOU gave the members a Guided Tour of the 20 initiatives that had been featured at the Mumbai edition of the Wave Exhibition. The members then proceeded to the space set up by Maker’s Asylum, one of the Maker Spaces in Mumbai. Various initiatives that had grown out of the Fablab had been showcased. This was followed by Navi Radjou’s presentation on “Reinventing Innovation: Innovating faster, better, cheaper” followed by discussion with the R&D Club's members. After lunch, Prof. Eric GODELIER, in charge of the Humanities and Social Sciences department at Ecole Polytechnique presented a project of an Indo French Education and Resources Center on Technology Transfer and Multicultural

Management, in partnership with IIM Ahmedabad. Finally the meeting ended with an exchange of information from the Science and Technology Service.

Navi Radjou explaining projects at the Maker’s Asylum Space at the Wave Exhibition

INDO-FRENCH WORKSHOP ON MARINE BIOLOGY

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) is collaborating with the French

National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France and the Sorbonne

University, France, to set up the first Indian institute of marine biology

and biotechnology in India. To discuss the scientific themes and

operational modalities of this future institute, an Indo-French workshop

was organized at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, from 7th

to 9th

March 2016. Scientists from India and France across various disciplines of

biology and environmental sciences spoke about their research, with

applications to marine systems. One of the highlights of the workshop

was a series of talks on the marine biology projects related to the

ambitious French ‘Tara Expeditions’ programme

(http://oceans.taraexpeditions.org/#) to understand the impact of

climate change and the ecological crisis of our oceans.

Regarding the future Indian institute, Dr VijayRaghavan, DBT Secretary,

explained that this new institute will be a modern state-of-the-art centre

of excellence for marine science, exploring various aspects from cell

biology, marine ecology and conservation biology to biotechnology

applications. The institute will be located in Goa and will act as a hub of a

network gathering stations and research centers in the Andamans,

Lakshadweep Islands, Gulf of Munnar, Kutch and Nellore.

INAUGURATION OF SAINT-GOBAIN NEW R&D CENTER IN IIT MADRAS RESEARCH PARK The French company Saint-Gobain, world leader in the habitat and construction markets, launched its all-new research and development building on 29th January 2016. This new cross-functional research centre was inaugurated by the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, J Jayalalithaa, in the presence of Pierre-André de Chalendar, chairman and CEO of the Saint-Gobain Group. The company invested Rs 200 crore in this world-class R&D facility, which is spread across 120,000 square feet in the IIT Madras Research Park. SGRI focuses on developing innovative and sustainable solutions for Saint-Gobain’s existing businesses and will drive initiatives to develop sustainable habitat for the region, such as energy solutions for hot climates, energy efficiency in buildings, affordable mass housing, etc. The strong academic collaboration with IIT Madras scientists is at the heart of SGRI’s strategy. As such a panel discussion, moderated by Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras, and Dr. Anand Tanikella, Director, SGRI, exchanged on the topic of “Pathways to Excellence: Scientific Education to Industrial Innovation” and included talks by Dr. Jenifer Clark, Science Attaché at the French Embassy in India, and Shri Y.S. Chowdary, Hon’ble Minister of State, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Government of India.

INDO-FRENCH SCIENCE

AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Issue 21, April 2016

Newsletter of the Service for Science and Technology (SST), French Embassy in India

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INDO-FRENCH ROUNDTABLE ON NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING, 19th January 2016, Pondicherry

The aim of this roundtable organized by the Service for Science and Technology

of the French Embassy in India was to share knowledge about the landscape on

NDT in India & France as well as to explore complementarities and

commonalities in NDT practices. Several experts from research centres,

organizations (ISNT: Indian Society for Non Destructive Testing and COFREND:

Confédération Française des Essais Non Destructifs) as well as companies from

India and France participated in this event. The concluding session discussed

various areas for Indo-French collaborations in the fields of training and research

activities. A working group was formed to continue the discussions. The next

meeting will be held at the occasion of the 19th World Conference on Non-

Destructive Testing in Munich (Germany) in June 2016.

CEFIPRA INDO-FRENCH SEMINAR ON SMART SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING

(SHM) FOR STRUCTURES UNDER HARSH ENVIRONMENTS, 20th-22nd January 2016, Pondicherry Following the roundtable discussion a three-day CEFIPRA Indo-French seminar on

Smart Systems and SHM for structures under harsh environments took place at

the Alliance Francaise de Pondicherry from 20th January to 22nd January 2016. The

seminar was co-organized by Airbus Defence & Space, IISc Bangalore and IIT

Madras. Consul General of France in Pondicherry Mr. Philippe JANVIER-

KAMIYAMA and Dr. V.K. Aatre former head of the Defence Research and

Development Organisation (DRDO) were the chief guests for the inaugural

ceremony. Following this seminar a brainstorming meeting with French

participants was organized by Airbus Defence & Space in Nantes, France on 7th and

8th April 2016 to consolidate five Indo-French collaborative projects which were

proposed as an outcome of the CEFIPRA seminar.

2016 IDAD CONFERENCE AT VEL TECH UNIVERSITY, CHENNAI

The second international conference on Innovative Design, Analysis & Development Practices in Aerospace and Automotive Engineering (I-DAD 2016) was organized on 22nd February 2016 at Vel Tech University, in Chennai. Mr Olivier Lucas, director of Future systems, MBDA, France (European leader in missile and missile systems), was there as the inauguration’s chief guest. It was the opportunity for him to renew the partnership for training and mobility of students between the company and the private university. The Counsellor for Science and Technology, French Embassy in India, Dr Philippe Arhets, also gave an address on this occasion.

INAUGURATION OF VEL TECH-FranceCol Lab FOR INNOVATIVE DEVICES

The FranceCol new R&D laboratory in India has been inaugurated on

22nd March 2016 in Vel Tech’s Research Park. The 200 square meters

occupied by the new laboratory will partly be dedicated to training

of Btech and Mtech students and to the development of R&D

activities mainly focused on electric powerdrive solutions. Mr

Philippe Janvier-Kamiyama, General Consul of France in Pondicherry,

alongside Dr R. Rangarajan, President of Vel Tech inaugurated this

joint R&D lab.

INDO-FRENCH SCIENCE

AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Issue 21, April 2016

Newsletter of the Service for Science and Technology (SST), French Embassy in India

5

2016 RAMAN-CHARPAK PhD FELLOWSHIP

The Raman-Charpak Fellowship programme jointly funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India and the Science & Technology Department of the French Embassy in India, allow highly qualified PhD students registered in an Indian or French Research Institute/University to carry out a part of their research project in France/India.

To see more details on eligibility and application process please visit http://cefipra.org/raman-charpak/Updated_guildlines_For_Raman_Charpak_Fellowship.pdf Application Submission deadline: 31st May 2016

In January, a debreifing session was organised by Cefipra with the 2014 laureates. The high quality of the laureates’ profiles was highlighted, and all expressed their enthusiasm and highlighted the rewarding gained in their training in science and learning. The experts, French Embassy and DST representatives were satisfied to see that the 2014 Raman-Charpak fellows had created a “community” with a Facebook group, good exchanges within the fellows, meetings in France, support and advice to each other, which even led to internal scientific cooperation between Indian fellows. They were also happy to note that some excellent fellow came not only from prestigious research institutes but also universities and smaller institutes in India, such as University of Lucknow, CERI Karaikudi.

HELLO TOMORROW CHALLENGE 2016

Hello Tomorrow is an international non-profit

run by science-entrepreneurs for science-

entrepreneurs, and is now launching the third

edition of a global competition for early-stage

startups and projects. Early-stage startups or

non-incorporated projects that are

transforming an innovative technology into a

viable product, service or platform and that

hasn't raised more than €400K in equity

funding can apply. Projects must have a

scientific validation of their claim and clear

development objectives. The Grand prize

winner start-up will get €100,000 and each

track finalist €15,000. Deadline: 17th June

2016. All the information on:

http://challenge.hello-tomorrow.org/

TESTIMONY: MY JOURNEY AS A RAMAN-CHARPAK FELLOW By Ms Mukta SINGH PARIHAR, Raman-Charpak Laureate 2014 “The joy of being selected as a Raman-Charpak Fellow was the one of the most unforgettable and overwhelming experiences of my life as a PhD student. The ecstasy of being able to live in a great country such as France and, getting the opportunity to work among the celebrated professors at the Nanoelectonics-hub of Europe ‘MINATEC’* were reaching its heights.

In my research work performed in India I had consolidated my theoretical knowledge of the nano-dimension devices, during which I came up with some excellent device design to improve the performance of the low and ultra-low power circuits, memories and electronic switches to the diversified field of biosensors. Nevertheless, I did not have the hands-on experience with the experimental and real-time performance of my devices. Thanks to the fellowship, I was able to learn the experimental characterization and parameter extraction techniques for very advance designs and was able to face and address the associated real-time challenges. It was certainly a great addition to my resume. The research performed in France was quite fruitful and resulted in two publications (one journal and one conference).

Moreover, my supervisor being one of the senior professors in my area of the research, I have learnt a lot from his experience and am looking forward to working with him more on future collaborative projects. I hope that this first step, taken towards the collaboration of two great countries and their eminent scientific community with the help of a most generous and prestigious platform of Raman-Charpak Fellowship would certainly strengthen over the coming years and will serve for the greater good of both the countries.

Recently, I received an offer to pursue post-doctoral research on the topic related to my project submitted to CEFIPRA. I have accepted this offer. I am hoping that it will be a life-turning opportunity for me which will consolidate my research experience and skills and, will certainly help in my future aspiration of being a faculty member in one of the IITs in India. Had it not been for the RAMAN-CHARPAK FELLOWSHIP, I would have not gotten this opportunity.

Thanks to CEFIPRA, CAMPUS FRANCE and all the people behind this great scheme.”

*Minatec is an unique innovation campus on micro and nanotechnologies located in Grenoble. http://www.minatec.org

INDO-FRENCH SCIENCE

AND TECHNOLOGY NEWS

Issue 21, April 2016

Newsletter of the Service for Science and Technology (SST), French Embassy in India

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JOB FAIR An Alumni Job Fair was co-organized by the Institut Français en Inde (IFI) and the Indo French Chambers of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI) on 19th March in New Delhi. The event welcomed Alumni of French schools and universities on a bright Saturday afternoon with an aim of bringing together under one roof French companies in India and Indians scholars who have successfully completed their education. It was an interesting platform for individuals from diverse backgrounds to come together and gave aspiring candidates an opportunity to meet and interact with HR heads of the French giants in India. Around 450 resumes from all over India and even France were received during the registration process.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS ON “RED BIOTECHNOLOGY UP TO PRE-COMMERCIALIZATION STAGE”

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), French Embassy in India and Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA) jointly invite Second Call for Proposals on “Red Biotechnology up to pre-commercialization stage”. Themes of the call: - Molecular diagnostic for prediction of Alzheimer’s and other dementia; - New assisting technologies for mobility of physically challenged (incl. prosthesis and robotics applications) - Biomaterials and cell engineering for health applications Who can apply? The proposals must involve at least two French partners (one academia and one industry) and two Indian partners (one academia and one industry), and should clearly show the added value of the bilateral collaboration. Duration of the projects will not exceed 2 years. Maximum two projects will be supported under this programme. The proposals must be written jointly by Indian and French partners. Deadline: 15th July, 2016 More information on: http://www.cefipra.org/pdf/Advt_Publication%20BIRAC-SST.pdf

LATEST CALLS

Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowships. Application deadline: 14th September 2016 https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/topics/2226-msca-if-2016.html

India – EU collaborative projects under Horizon 2020 http://www.dbtindia.nic.in/wp-content/uploads/DBT-EUcallsunderH2020-.pdf

INSERM International Associated Laboratories Programme, 2016 Call for proposals. Application Deadline: June 15, 2016. http://frenchscienceindia.org/index.php/events-category/430-2016-call-for-proposals-inserm-international-associated-laboratories-programme

Inno-Indigo - Two Indo-European Joint Calls for proposals Innovation Call on Bioeconomy, deadline: 31st August 2016 S&T Call 2016 - Biobased energy, deadline: 12

th July 2016

More information on: https://indigoprojects.eu/

12th AFD International Conference on Development – Call for Papers. Deadline: 1st June 2016. More information on: http://www.afd.fr/lang/en/home/recherche/conferences-recherche?actuCtnId=137326

EVENT 4th bilateral Indo-French Symposium on Catalysis for Sustainable and Environmental Chemistry, 27th June - 30th June 2016 in Villeneuve d’Ascq, France. http://frenchscienceindia.org/attachments/article/423/Indo-French_Symposium%202016%20Lecture%20seule%20Mode%20de%20compatibilit%C3%A9.pdf

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Science Department, French Embassy to India

Editor: Philippe Arhets Contributors: Philippe Arhets, Shefali Choudhary, Jenifer Clark, Sandrine Maximilien, Florian Morin, Kashmira Pavri, Jayesh Wagh Contact: india@frenchscienceindia.org