IIT Alumni
        iit Alumni Newsletter June, 2014      
 

 

In This Issue

Table of content

 

  
 

 

4. Exclusive Interview

 

5. Chapters Upcoming Events

  

6. PanIIT News

  

8. Resources

  
Quick Links

 

IIT News (Forum)



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      PANIIT India 

Announcements  Announcements 

 

  
Announcing the 2015 Global IIT Alumni Leadership Conference
The biggest PanIIT Alumni Conference is a year away, so please mark your calendar, and plan to attend, the best IIT Alumni experience to date.  
 
Dates: Friday July 24, 2015, -  Sunday July 26th, 2015.

(Note : A by invitation only, 'Welcome Reception' for sponsors  and an  'IIT Women's Day' is being  planned  on Thursday 23rdJuly)

Venue:  Santa Clara Convention Center (SCCC), 5001 Great America Parkway , Santa Clara , CA 95054. 

Conference Hotel:  Hyatt Regency, Santa Clara , CA  ( conveniently located adjacent to the SCCC)

The convention center and hotel are located 6 miles from Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC ) and is approximately a  40 minute  drive from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and the Oakland International Airport (OAK)

Please plan to attend along with your family, batch mates, and friends.

Watch for details.
 
Sincerely

Subhash Tantry , Chair
Raj Shah, Co Chair
Roy daSilva Co Chair
 
alumninewsIIT Alumni News

 

Coverage of PanIIT Conference, Toronto, Canada, June 6-8, 2014
  

By Lachman Balani

 

    
Governor General David Johnston with prominent IITians and other dignitaries
  
  
TORONTO: It was a power-packed and extremely upscale evening as the Pan-IIT gala evening got under way with brainiacs and achievers from the US, Canada and India descending upon the International Plaza hotel in Toronto. To start off the evening, Mr. Srinivasan Venkatesh addressed the crowd in both English and French (a first for many attendants - a person of Indian origin speaking French)! Then came the first speaker of the evening, none other than Governor General David Johnston, who gave an excellent speech on entrepreneurship and the ties between India and Canada, peppered with highly detailed anecdotes. He ended with one of George Bernard Shaw's famous lines, an ode to entrepreneurship, "But I dream things that never were; and I say: "Why not?"
  

Read full article at News East West.

 


Pawan Goenka appointed chairman of board of governors at IIT Madras
M Ramya, TNN | Jun 9, 2014, 01.12PM IST
  
CHENNAI: Pawan Goenka, executive director and president, Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, has been appointed chairman of the board of governors at Indian Institute of Technology Madras. President Pranab Mukherjee made the appointment, in his capacity as Visitor of the Institute.
  
Goenka, who is taking charge on Monday, is the 12th chairman of the board of governors of the institute and will hold the post for three years. He takes over from Padma Vibhushan M M Sharma, who brought a sharp focus on research at IIT-M during his tenure, said a release from the institute. 
 

 

Read full article at Times of India.


campusnews  Campuses News


IIT-Kanpur unveils new supercomputer 

TNN | Jun 4, 2014, 02.25AM IST

 

 

KANPUR: IIT-Kanpur on Tuesday unveiled its second supercomputer, which ranks fifth in the country in terms of performance and is considered the best for educational institutions. 


The machine, assembled at IIT-Kanpur by a team headed by the institute's deputy director SC Srivastava, was unveiled by him along with Ashish Dutta, head of the computer centre. They said the supercomputer would be used for regular education, research and training purposes. 


"Supercomputers are used in many areas of science and engineering research," said Dutta. "The general area of research that uses supercomputers is called high-performance computing (HPC). HPC can simulate nuclear explosions, evolution of galaxies, effects of pacemaker redesign, genetics and genetic related diseases, medical drug discovery, aircraft flight, aerodynamics, etc."

 

 

Read full article at Times of India.

 

 

IIT-Gandhinagar to offer master's in society and culture from this year

 

Runa Mukherjee Parikh, TNN | May 21, 2014, 02.28AM IST

 

AHMEDABAD: The state's engineering mecca is gradually giving the humanities their due. IIT-Gandhinagar (IIT-Gn) is geared up to add a comprehensive, stand-alone, two-year Master of Arts in Society and Culture to its repertoire. The degree will be the first to deal with South Asian culture and society at any IIT.

 

The first batch will begin in July this year and 15 students have been selected for it. According to Dr Sudhir Jain, director, IIT-Gn, the MA program reflects the strength and eclectic nature of faculty expertise across the social sciences and humanities department, making the programme one-of-its-kind in the country.
 

"Some of themes we will study are identity and difference, development and exclusion, local and transnational mobility, population and health, among others," said Dr Srinivas Reddy, assistant professor, South Asian studies, IIT-Gn.
 


Read full article at Times of India

Gurufunda  Exclusive Interview with former Mexican President Vicente Fox
 Former Mexican president predicts success for proposed energy overhaul
     By Emily Pickrell (IIT 2013 Global Conference, Houston, December 7, 2013)
  
 
  
HOUSTON - Mexico's lawmakers probably will approve sweeping constitutional reforms for the nation's energy sector by mid-December, former Mexican President Vicente Fox said during a visit to Houston.

"I am very optimistic," Fox said in an interview with FuelFix Friday evening.

The legislation would modify Mexico's constitution to permit international companies to invest and share in the risks and rewards of Mexican oil projects.

Fox, who served as president from 2000 to 2006, was in Houston to speak at the IIT Global Energy Conference this weekend at the Hilton Americas downtown.

Fox changed the political landscape of the country by becoming the first leader in nearly a century to break the hold on Mexico's presidency of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, abbreviated in Spanish as PRI. But he and his National Action Party, PAN, failed to push through energy reforms during his tenure because PRI's lawmakers blocked the proposal.

"I was a total minority," Fox recalled. "I won with 44 percent of the vote and had no more than one third of the political position appointments. And I had very strong opposition."

Mexico's current president, Enrique Pe�a Nieto, of the PRI, has introduced similar measure again, and PAN has said it will work with the PRI to pass the constitutional amendment. Fox sees sufficient momentum for meaningful changes to be adopted into law.

"My party, the PAN, has a lot of integrity," Fox said. "It is not going to play as opposition in this case."

Mexico nationalized its oil industry in the 1930s, creating a decades-long source of pride and identity, along with considerable resistance to changing the structure. But the national oil company, Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, is struggling with rapidly declining production and increased competition. Supporters of an overhaul say Pemex needs capital and expertise that it only can get if outside investors can share in the oil and gas produced rather than working only as contractors.
The left-leaning Party of the Democratic Revolution, or PRD, has organized large demonstrations in Mexico City protesting the constitutional amendment, saying that it would open the door to privatization of the oil industry. But Fox said that these protests do not have enough momentum to block passage of the constitutional amendment, given its support by the two leading parties.

"The conflicts on the streets are going to make it costly for the president to come up with the reform, but it will happen if Pena Nieto has a strong will and is determined for the change," Fox said.

Mexican lawmakers are debating the proposal with an eye to a vote before Dec. 15, when Congress breaks for three months. Fox cautioned that the international energy sector, which has watched several cycles of unsuccessful Mexican energy proposals in recent decades, will be looking for proof that Mexico is ready to change how it does business with the world.

"It has taken so long, that it must be good, profound reform," Fox said. "Expectations are very high, especially by investors. If it doesn't please them, or they don't understand it, the effect we are looking for won't be there."
  
  
upcomingeventsChapters Upcoming Events

 

Michigan IIT Alumni Association Upcoming Events

 

July 19 (Sat) -- "Picnic at the Hangar" with small planes & Aviation Enthusiasts (Venue: Canton regional airport) -- a great event for kids of all ages, 4 to 40 yrs (and 70 yrs too) to indulge their interest in checking out a few small airplanes, 101 on technical and how to go about joining a flying club, and possibly a few joy-rides for the kids and kids at heart. For this event, as you can imagine, a degree of planning is required for logistics, coordination with aviation organizations, volunteer-pilots/ offering rides etc.  Please RSVP   [At this time, we do not anticipate any fees associated with entry to the hangar and aviation-club area;  tbd - we "may" need some help organizing a potluck and/or may have a nominal fee, $5-10, to defray cost of picnic food]


Thank you to Lead Volunteer and pilot, airplane-owner, member of aviation enthusiasts organization, Sanjay Dhall, IITB '85- Hostel 8. 

 

Aug 9 (Sat) -- Family Picnic in the metro-Detroit area -- Venue- Plymouth, MI park (tentative) details to be announced later.  Thanks to Roorkee alumni (& Kamran Qadeer, IITR '86) for organizing this. 


OTHER EVENTS  -- to be scheduled

Discussion Forums on Careers & Professional Mentoring:
i) "Managing Transitions from Engineering to Management";  
ii) "Taking ownership for one's career"

iii) Technology trends/ automotive industry affinity groups

 

Discussion Forums on Family & Support Groups: 
i) "Raising families in Conflicting Cultures"  -- and the theme of support for families raising kids, teenagers, ... other

ii) "Sandwich generation, between the parents and the kids .... and a pond in between"

Want to conduct an event that you think may be of interest to IITans and their families? -- Contact Rajesh Radhakrishnan ([email protected]).  (as the guys at an office supplies co. advertise) "Hit the EASY button" -- Raise your hand, pick a date, offer a plan and tell us what help you need.

 

 

IIT Alumni Long Island Chapter Upcoming Event


IIT Alumni Long Island Chapter Cordially invites all IITians to


Annual Summer Picnic at


Syosset-Woodbury Community Park,
7800 Jericho Turnpike,

Woodbury, NY 11797


Saturday, July 19th 2014


11:00 AM - 05:00 PM
  
Fully catered (bring cash only)
Children below 5 (Free)
Children between 5-15 ($ 10)

Adults ($20)

 

COME JOIN THIS EVENT WITH YOUR FAMILY. MEET UP WITH YOUR LONG LOST BUDDIES, HOSTELITES, BATCHMATES, WINGMATES AND OTHER ALUMNI. CATCH UP, NETWORK WITH OTHERS, OR JUST PLAIN OLD CACK TILL THE SUN GOES DOWN!


Please RSVP at the link below


http://www.evite.com/event/0255VWK5QGR3QMYE4EPD3O7UFA3RI4


Or, drop an email to one of the volunteers

Paresh Shah             516-998-5545            [email protected]

Saurabh Bhargava     516-728-4662            [email protected]

 

 

paniitnews PanIIT USA News

 

IIT Alumni Linkedin Group reached 25000+ members 

 

IIT Alumni Linkedin Group is a forum for IIT alumni from sixteen campuses to share ideas. It has emerged as a very vibrant resource for our community. We are now 25500+ strong and growing. The group is a great way to connect with fellow IITans living in your area, working in your industry or from your batch. It is great resource to find employers, employees, contacts or customers via qualified introductions on an opt-in basis. The members are finding it as a great place to discuss their ideas or to promote their products. In this forum everyday fellow alumni are posting articles on topics such as career advancement, learning about new technologies, gaining new leadership skills, as well as global politics and life in general.


If you are not a member yet, please join the group at the following link and enjoy interacting with each other.

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/IIT-Alumni-28006/about


400+ members in IIT Women Alumni Linkedin subgroup

  

A couple of months ago IIT Women Alumni formed a Linkedin subgroup exclusively for IIT women alumni to provide a forum for not only networking discussions amongst the IIT women alumni, but also a platform for a) mentoring/support opportunities, b) proudly sharing the success stories of the IIT women alumni c) advertising/encouraging our IIT women to participate in high impact IIT Alumni related global events. At present IIT Women Alumni subgroup has 400+ members and is the fastest growing subgroup of IIT Alumni Linkedin group.

 

If you are not a member yet, please join the group at the following link and enjoy interacting with each other.

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/IIT-Women-Alumni-6655081/about


PanIIT USA President's Challenge for IIT Women Alumni Subgroup

 

Arjun Sen, our PanIIT USA president, has thrown us a challenge. Whichever IIT campus gets represented by more than 200 women alumni on the LinkedIn Subgroup by July 30th, will have their campus women's hostel treated to a special dinner, sponsored by PanIIT. We at PanIIT believe that we will all do this for our juniors back on campus!! And we can do it!

 

Here is the link to join the IIT Women Alumni Sungroup.

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/IIT-Women-Alumni-6655081/about

 

Partners PanIIT Partner Organizations
  
  
For more details please visit http://www.citek2014.com/
Job Connection

PLEASE SEND NEWS TO [email protected] FOR INCLUSION IN FUTURE NEWSLETTERS. 
ResourcesYOUR CAMPUS CONNECTION
 
ALUMNI SITEFACEBOOKNEWSLETTER
Bombay  www.iitbombay.org

https://www.facebook.com/groups/iitmumbai/

https://www.facebook.com/iitbombay

www.iitbombay.org/newsletters
Madras www.iitmaana.orgwww.facebook.com/pages/IIT-Madras/110588392295422 
Delhiwww.iitdalumni.comwww.facebook.com/iitdalumni 
Kanpurwww.iitkalumni.orgwww.facebook.com/groups/iitkalumni/www.iitkalumni.org/whatsup/newsletter1.asp
Kharagpurwww.iitfoundation.org www.facebook.com/alumnicell.iitkgp 
Roorkee www.iitraana.net www.facebook.com/pages/IIT-Roorkee/110723692284452www.iitraana.net/newsletter
Varanasi  www.itbhuglobal.orgwww.facebook.com/IITBHUChroniclewww.itbhuglobal.org/chronicle/
Guwahati  iitgalumni.org www.facebook.com/groups/iitg.alumniconnect/www.iitg.ac.in/aa/Alumni_Newsletter.htm
Gandhinagar www.iitgn.ac.in www.facebook.com/pages/IIT-Gandhinagar/139092996158047 www.iitgn.ac.in/iit-newsletter.htm
Hyderabadwww.iith.ac.in. https://www.facebook.com/iithyderabad 
Indorewww.iiti.ac.in
Bhubaneshwarwww.iitbbs.ac.in
Patnawww.iitp.ac.in
Roparwww.iitrpr.ac.in
Mandiwww.iitmandi.ac.in
Jodhpurwww.iitj.ac.in
 


Please forward missing information to [email protected] so that we can include it in future newsletters..  Thanks

IIT Alumni - Join us on LinkedIn

 

IIT Alumni Linkedin Group has emerged as a very vibrant resource for our community. We are now 25500+ strong and growing. The group is a great way to connect with fellow IITans living in your area, working in your industry or from your batch. It is great resource to find employers, employees, contacts or customers via qualified introductions on an opt-in basis. The members are finding it as a great place to discuss their ideas or to promote their products.
 

 

Click here to join the LinkedIn Group. 

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Newsletter team at Pan IIT USA Inc.

(Alumni Association of Indian Institutes of Technology)