One-to-one session with our new DPPC PhD representative

Q) What differences do you see in the department between now and the time you joined here ?

Answer: i) An increase in the number of research scholars. ii) Some new faces amongst the faculties and the departure of some of the already existing ones. iii) A change of guard at the helm of the department.

Q) Your vision and plan of action during your tenure as DPPC.

Answer: As I said during the election, my vision as DPPC PhD representative is to bridge the gap between the research scholars and faculties in our department by bringing forward your concerns and suggestions to them. I have already taken upon some of the concerns that you guys have put via the Google form and would keep you posted as and when I get an update from the other end.

Q) How to encourage more placement for PhD students ?

Answer: To begin with, a research scholar should have a clear cut idea well before his/her synopsis seminar as to whether he/she prefers the academia or industry. Once that is clear, one should slowly start acquiring the skill sets required for doing well in his/her preferred option. This ensures that by the time you complete the synopsis seminar and sit for placements, you are well prepared. It helps if you have a group of motivated people who prefer the same as you do.

Q- How do you manage research, administrative work and your personal life? Any tips for time management ?

Answer: Well, you are asking the question to the wrong guy. I'm very bad at managing time. How I go about is work on things as and when I feel interested keeping my research as a priority. Though I can vouch that there are people within our department who are better at time management than I am and I hope to learn how they do it.

Q) Your memorable experience in IITG ?

Answer: There are many memorable experiences during the course of my PhD at IIT Guwahati. But, in terms of academic experiences I would say going to Japan to present my work at an international conference (ICDAR) and being part of the organizing team of ICVGIP 2016 here at IIT Guwahati would top the list.

Q) Any plan to increase collaborative research or bring projects to our department.

Answer: I would love to see more collaborative research and projects by people from our department. But, there are other variables involved in this scenario to which I have no influence.

Q) Special plans to promote research conclave.

Answer: I believe that like some of the departments in IIT Guwahati, our department also have research scholars who are working on some really interesting problems. I request everyone to take the research conclave as an opportunity to showcase the other departments the kind of problems that we are working on. As an added incentive, let me inform you guys that this time SAB has agreed to publish selected works from research conclave in Springer. So I request everyone to take this chance with both hands and get your work published. I hope to see good participation from our department this time around.

Q) Any message to the research scholars of our department. Any special thing you would like to improve during your tenure ?

Answer: When I came to the department, Dr. Tony Jacob was the DPPC secretary and he suggested the following three things during our orientation meeting and I would like to pass that on to the research scholars who have recently joined our department.
i) Try generating a weekly report of what you do. This helps you while writing your manuscripts/thesis and at the same time helps you to improve your writing gradually.
ii) Be always on the lookout for some interesting problems. You will always be motivated to work on problems that interest you than otherwise.
iii) Talk to people around you. Take interest in their work and try to analyse what they are trying to do. For all you know, it could happen that somebody is already well versed with a method that you were trying very hard to understand and it could save you time.
Apart from the above, be generous and helpful to others. If somebody asks you to review their paper, kindly say yes. It is an indication that they value your opinion.

Vivek Venugopal Email: v.venugopal@iitg.ernet.in