Address to students and Faculty members of Shiv Nadar University Greater Noida Gautam Budh Nagar 19 October 2011 Travel in an unexplored path Imagination leads to creativity Creativity blossoms thinking Thinking provides knowledge Knowledge makes you great. I am delighted to address and interact with the students and Faculty members of Shiv Nadar University. My greetings to the faculty members, students, staff and distinguished guests present here. I am happy that Shiv Nadar University has created an enduring research-led inter-disciplinary university of global standard in this beautiful environment. It is said that good teaching emanates from research. The teachers’ love for research and their experience in research are vital for the growth of the institution. Any University is judged by the level and extent of the research work it accomplishes. This sets in a regenerative cycle of excellence. Experience of research leads to quality teaching and quality teaching imparted to the young in turn enriches the research. I appreciate that the students in this campus have the flexibility to choose courses across engineering, management, social sciences, liberal arts and communications and performing arts and carry out inter-disciplinary research. The Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam www.abdulkalam.com Page 1 of 29 knowledge base and inspiration created by the Shiv Nadar University will enable the students to face the challenges of the Nation in twenty first century, the results will be dramatic solutions that could be totally inconceivable with today’s experience. Hence, I would like to talk on the topic “Travel in an unexplored path”. Research Teaching Research Technology is the non-linear tool available to humanity, which can affect fundamental changes in the ground rules of economic competitiveness. Science is linked to technology through applications. Technology is linked to economy and environment through manufacture of knowledge products. Economy and environment are linked to technology, which promotes prosperity to the society. We have to use innovation to generate high value added products for becoming a global player. The foundation for economic growth is academic research and creativity leading to the creation of knowledge society. Unique you It is said, “History has proven that those who dare to imagine the impossible are the ones who break all human limitations. In every field of human endevour, whether science, medicine, sports, the arts, or technology, the names of the people who imagine the impossible are engraved in our Page 2 of 29 history. By breaking the limits of their imagination, they changed the world.” Of course, it is true in India, Sir CV Raman in discovering the Raman effect, Dr Vikram Sarabhai in space research and technology, Dr MS Swaminathan in first green revolution and Dr Verghese Kurien in white revolution, Jamshetji Tata for pioneering in steel manufacture and founding the science institutions have broken the barriers of impossibilities. Dear young friends, question is, are you willing to be the unique personality? Dear friends, Look up, what do you see, the light, the electric bulbs. Immediately, our thoughts go to the inventor Thomas Alva Edison, for his unique contribution towards the invention of electric bulb and his electrical lighting system. When you hear the sound of aero plane going over your house, whom do you think of? Wright Brothers proved that man could fly of course at heavy risk and cost. Whom does the telephone remind you of? Of course, Alexander Graham Bell. He suggested in 1905: “Don’t keep forever on the public road, going only where others have gone. Leave the beaten track occasionally and dive into the woods. You will be certain to find something you have never seen before. It will be a little thing, but do not ignore it. Follow it up, explore all around it; one discovery will lead to another, and before you know it, you will have something worth thinking about.” ………… Alexander Graham Bell Page 3 of 29 When everybody considered a sea travel as an experience or a voyage, a unique person questioned during his sea travel from United Kingdom to India. He was pondering on why the horizon where the sky and sea meet looks blue? His research resulted in the phenomena of scattering of light. Of course, Sir CV Raman was awarded Nobel Prize. Do you know an Indian Mathematician who did not have formal higher education but had inexhaustible spirit and love for mathematics which took him to contribute to the treasure houses of mathematical research – some of which are still under serious study and engaging all-available world mathematicians’ efforts to establish formal proofs? He was a unique Indian genius who could melt the heart of the most hardened and outstanding Cambridge mathematician Prof G H Hardy. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that it was Prof. Hardy who discovered a great mathematician for the world. This mathematician was of-course Srinivasa Ramanujan for whom every number was a divine manifestation. Do you know about a man of science and about a life completely dedicated to innovation, creativity and scientific research? His most famous success was the astrophysical Chandrasekhar limit. The limit describes the maximum mass (greater than 1.44 solar masses) of a white dwarf star, or equivalently, the minimum mass for which a star will ultimately collapse into a neutron star or black hole following a supernova. The limit was first calculated by a scientist while Page 4 of 29 on a ship from India to Cambridge, England. Yes, I am referring to Prof Subramanian Chandrasekhar, who lived his entire life for research, research and research on cosmos. Do you know the technologist who has given Delhi Metro to the country and has ensured that, all the scheduled sections were completed by their target date or before and within their respective budgets through his technological and programme management skills? The dedicated and transparent leadership backed up with professional competence of this great technologist has given to the nation, one of the best transportation systems of the world at the most economic cost. Of course, I am talking about Shri E. Sreedharan. Friends, so far, we have studied those who walked into unexplored path and strived to be unique and are remembered for their contribution to the human kind. Inventions and discoveries have emanated from creative minds that have been constantly working and imagining the outcome in the mind. With imagining and constant effort, all the forces of the universe work for that inspired mind, thereby leading to inventions and discoveries. The question is: are you willing to become a unique personality. Let me share an experience. I have, so far, met 12 million youth in India and abroad, in a decade’s time. I learnt, “every youth wants to be unique, Page 5 of 29 that is, YOU! But the world all around you, is doing its best, day and night, to make you just “everybody else”. The challenge, my young friends, is that you have to fight the hardest battle, which any human being can ever imagine to fight; and never stop fighting until you arrive at your destined place, that is, a UNIQUE YOU! Friends what will be your tools to fight this battle. There are four criteria for building a unique personality, what are they: have a great aim in life, continuously acquire the knowledge, work hard and persevere to realize the great achievement. Distinctive Profile of India by 2020 Friends, for the past several years, I have been discussing with the young and experienced on the vision of the nation and how each one, whatever be his or her professional orientation, can contribute to the pillars of development. As I envisage, the pillars of Indian development profile 2020 are as follows: 1. A Nation where the rural and urban divide has reduced to a thin line. 2. A Nation where there is an equitable distribution and adequate access to energy and quality water. 3. A Nation where agriculture, industry and service sector work together in symphony. Page 6 of 29 4. A Nation where education with value system is not denied to any meritorious candidates because of societal or economic discrimination. 5. A Nation, which is the best destination for the most talented scholars, scientists, and investors. 6. A Nation where the best of health care is available to all. 7. A Nation where the governance is responsive, transparent and corruption free. 8. A Nation where poverty has been totally eradicated, illiteracy removed and crimes against women and children are absent and none in the society feels alienated. 9. A Nation that is prosperous, healthy, secure, devoid of terrorism, peaceful and happy and continues with a sustainable growth path. 10. A Nation that is one of the best places to live in and is proud of its leadership. Integrated Action for developed India To achieve the distinctive profile of India, we have the mission of transforming India into a developed nation. We have identified five areas where India has a core competence for integrated action: (1) Agriculture and food processing (2) Education and Healthcare (3) Information and Communication Technology (4) Reliable and Quality Electric power, Surface Page 7 of 29 transport and Infrastructure for all parts of the country. (5) Self-reliance in critical technologies. These five areas are closely inter-related and by progressing in a coordinated way, leading to food, economic and national security. I have given you, how you have to transform yourself to meet the professional challenges as system technologist and contribute in realizing any one or more of the ten pillars that I have described. Friends, please look carefully at each of the pillars. You will find some interesting challenge. All of them require convergence of disciplines and technologies. In an engineering system level, optimization of systems takes place with the targets of performance, cost and schedule. In the case of human body, ultimately decisions will involve the overall well being. In the case of the nation, the best decisions happen when everyone puts the nation above himself or herself. The other important aspect is the confidence that innovations can be done and changes can be brought out for the better. The third aspect is, while technologies will be developed and human welfare will be enabled, lasting peace and prosperity will happen only through development of enlightened citizenship. Every individual is responsible for practicing and spreading the message of enlightened citizenship. Let me start with convergence of technologies. Page 8 of 29 Convergence of Technologies The information technology and communication technology have already converged leading to Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Information Technology combined with bio-technology has led to bio-informatics. Similarly, Photonics is grown out from the labs to converge with classical Electronics and Microelectronics to bring in new high speed options in consumer products. Flexible and unbreakable displays using thin layer of film on transparent polymers have emerged as new symbols of entertainment and media tools. Now, Nano-technology has come in. It is the field of the future that will replace microelectronics and many fields with tremendous application potential in the areas of medicine, electronics and material science. I am sure about the use of nano-robot for drug delivery. When Nano technology and ICT meet, integrated silicon electronics, photonics are born and it can be said that material convergence will happen. With material convergence and biotechnology linked, a new science called Intelligent Bioscience will be born which would lead to a disease free, happy and more intelligent human habitat with longevity and high human capabilities. Convergence of bio-nano-info technologies can lead to the development of nano robots. Nano robots when they are injected into a patient, my expert friends say, it will diagnose and deliver the treatment exclusively in the affected area and then the nano-robot gets digested as it is a DNA based Page 9 of 29 product. I saw the product sample in one of the labs in South Korea where best of minds with multiple technology work with a target of finding out-of-the-box solution. My experience in Harvard University: Convergence of science is reciprocating. Let me give an example. Recently, I was in the Harvard University where I visited laboratories of many eminent professors from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. I recall, how Professor Hongkun Park, showed me his invention of nano needles, which can pierce and deliver content into individual targeted cells. That’s how nano particle sciences is shaping the bio sciences. Then I met Professor Vinod Manoharan, who showed on the other hand bio sciences is in turn shaping nano material science as well. He is using DNA material to design self assembling particles. When particular type of DNA is applied on a particle at the atomic level, he is able to generate a prefixed behavior and automatic assembly from them. This could be our answer to self assembly of devices and colonies in deep space without human intervention as envisioned by Dr K Erik Drexler. Thus, within a single research building, I saw how two different sciences are shaping each other without any iron curtain between the technologists. This reciprocating contribution of sciences to one another is going to shape our future and industry needs to be ready for it. The curriculum Page 10 of 29