Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Prof Ashutosh Sharma, stressed that complexity in science can be navigated by using common sense and that it is important to relate research to larger questions of life, at the International Conference on Multifunctional Nano Materials (ICMN 2020).

“The new age has heightened the capabilities of the mind that machines do not have, like lateral thinking, connecting the dots, creativity, problem solving, interdisciplinary thinking, portability and developing concepts across silos, Professor Sharma said at the online conference which is taking place from December 28 to 30, 2020.

He also highlighted the importance of translation, innovation, startups, of closing the circle of knowledge and of relating a narrow domain of research to the larger concerns of science and society in the new age where future is throwing questions at faster pace, at the conference organised by Manipal University Jaipur.

Prof Sharma also spoke about future directions and drivers of science and technology. “Convergence and co-arising of technologies, rise of intelligent machines, sustainability and development, managing data, information technology, equity and inclusion are the challenges and opportunities that the new age brings,” he pointed out.

The conference is organized every year to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Multifunctional Nanomaterials.