Experts from seven nations take part in UPES conference

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 22

A three-day international conference on “Nano in Energy and Water (NEWS)-2017 being organised by the Department of Research and Development of the University of Petroleum and Energy studies (UPES) began here today. Well-known scientists and subject experts from seven countries are participating in the conference that is being held under the patronage of Bharat Ratna Prof CNR Rao. Prof Ashok Misra, Chairman, Board Of Governors, IIT, Roorkee, inaugurated the conference while Dr Rajender Dhobal, Director General, UCOST, was the guest of honour.

Dr Jitender Kumar Pandey, convener of the conference and vice-president of R&D in UPES, said the major thematic areas of NEW-2017 are Energy Source, Energy Storage, Energy Distribution and Water and eminent scientists and experts would be deliberating on the use of nano-technology in increasing energy security and improving the quality of water. The conference would also provide a platform for collaborations between researchers, scientists, engineers, industrialists, educators and students, he added.

P. Sairam, organising secretary of the conference, said Prof SC Mullick, Prof Emeritus of the IIT, New Delhi, would be the speaking on solar–thermal energy; Prof HJ Kim from Pusan National University, South Korea, on energy storage systems; Prof Elena A Rozhkova, scientist from Argomne National Laboratory, USA, on bio inspired designs for energy harvesting; Prof Patrick Loulergue from France on membrane for water treatments; and Prof Maja Leitgeb from University of Maribor, Slovenia, would share his thoughts on bio sensors for measuring water pollution.

Arun Dhand, Director Media Affairs ,said experts from the USA, France, South Korea, Slovenia, Canada, Malaysia and Bangladesh, besides from IITs and various well known universities and institutes from 13 states were participating.

Besides the conference, the UPES is also hosting an Indo-French workshop on water networking. It will be a collaborative effort between the IIT, Roorkee, and the French Government. The focus areas of the workshop will include dwelling on technologies that could improve the low per capita availability in hilly areas of Uttarakhand, besides technologies for removing micro pollutants from water.