Dr Venkata Srinu Bhadram, Assistant Professor of Physics, SIAS was invited to give a talk at the International Conference on Advanced Ceramics for Sustainability (Cera4S-2024), held at IIT Madras from 28 – 30 November 2024. In his talk titled, ‘Extreme Pressure as a Route to Discover New Metastable Materials’, he discussed the pivotal role of high-pressure techniques in discovering new metastable phases of ceramic materials, such as transition metal nitrides, oxides and high-entropy complex oxides. He highlighted how combining high-pressure experimental methods with machine learning approaches has the potential to drive transformative advancements, offering sustainable solutions for materials-based technologies.
The Jazz Explorer Trio’s recent performance, presented by the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY) at Krea University on December 2, 2024 (the second in a series of collaborations), beautifully captured the essence of global cultural exchange. Comprised of Danish artists Lars Møller (saxophone), Thor Madsen (guitar) and Jonas Johansen (drums), the group seamlessly melded jazz traditions with a global perspective.
Their setlist featured tracks like Blues In Five, A Woman’s Purse, Moose and Know, showcasing their musical brilliance and their ability to weave cheerful, conversational rhythms into their compositions, creating a deeply moving experience. The trio also delighted the audience with previews of tracks from their upcoming album, inspired by Miles Davis’s iconic Kind of Blue.
The evening had a magical quality, taking the audience on a journey through rich soundscapes, from the contemplative elegance of jazz to the playful, interactive exchanges between instruments. The performance highlighted the trio’s commitment to cultural dialogue, resonating strongly with SPIC MACAY’s mission to preserve and share diverse heritages. The connection between jazz improvisation and Indian classical music — both rooted in spontaneity and presence — was evident throughout, as the trio engaged in intricate, meditative interplay.
The group’s deep engagement with Indian influences added layers of richness to their performance. Møller, in particular, has studied Indian classical music extensively, which informs their ability to blend these influences into their jazz compositions. This performance, reminiscent of the spirit of Kind of Blue or the quintessential So What, celebrated modal jazz — where simplicity meets infinite variation, akin to Indian classical ragas.
This collaboration under SPIC MACAY exemplifies how jazz and Indian classical music, despite their distinct origins, demand the same sense of presence and spontaneity from both performers and audiences. The synergy of these traditions stands as a testament to the universal language of music and its power to bridge cultures. I eagerly look forward to future collaborations between SPIC MACAY and Krea University.
Ananya Manikandan, a second-year MBA student at IFMR GSB, secured second place in Financius ’24, a national-level article writing competition organised by X-Fin, the Finance Association of Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB). The competition focused on ‘Financial Restructuring in Volatile Markets: M&A and Strategic Solutions.’ Ananya’s achievement comes with a cash prize of ₹3000, and their article will be featured in Finshastra, XIMB’s annual business magazine.
Professor Anil Srinivasan, Visiting Professor of Practice, Literature & the Arts, SIAS penned a piece for The New Indian Express (TNIE) titled, Till we respect the environment, December will be season of sorrow for Chennai. In this column TNIE invites prominent citizens to pen their experiences and suggestions that can help mitigate the impact of rain. The article straddles experiences of environmental changes with an imperative need to respect the environment with absolute and unfettered dedication.
Dr Proma Raychaudhury, Assistant Professor of Politics, SIAS has published a peer-reviewed article titled, Gendering Loyalty in Indian Electoral Democracy: The Trinamool Congress and Its Construction of a Female Constituency in West Bengal in Economic and Political Weekly (Vol 59, Issue 48, pp.87-95) as part of a Special Issue on General Elections 2024.
Through a consistent surge in their salience and distinguished by their autonomy, female voters have become an indispensable constituency in Indian electoral democracy in recent decades. Through a constructivist approach to populist political representation, this paper studies the conceptual terrain of the relationship between voter loyalty and populist democracy in the context of female voting and partisan support in contemporary West Bengal. This paper explores how the leadership of the All India Trinamool Congress in the state constructed a “loyalist” constituency of female voters who are beneficiaries of state-sponsored welfare schemes while exercising the logic of “othering” to exclude female critics and dissidents of the regime from such a constituency. Through interviews with grassroots workers of the AITC, this paper also analyses the gendered expectations that underscore the populist constituency of the “loyal female voter” in West Bengal.
Kumar Ashuthosh, a fifth-year PhD student at IFMR GSB, has published an article titled Street Safety and Girls’ Secondary Schooling in India on the web portal Ideas for India (I4I). I4I is an economics and policy platform that features evidence-based analysis and commentary on issues related to growth and development in India. Established in July 2012 by a group of economists from the International Growth Centre (IGC), I4I operates under the joint direction of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) University of Oxford.
Abstract of the article: Street harassment in India is still a constraint on women’s education, dimming their future. Analysing the case of ‘SHE teams’ in the state of Telangana, this article shows that the introduction of special police units dedicated to women’s safety on streets led to a significant increase in girls finishing grade 12. Further, it establishes that the impact is not driven by non-street safety determinants of schooling.
The Career Services & Partnerships Office at Krea University hosted the third edition of Higher Education Day on 27 November 2024 at the Krea University campus.
This year’s Higher Education Day brought together representatives from seven countries and over 20 prestigious universities worldwide, such as the University of Liverpool, Queen Mary University of London, University of Otago, Audencia Business School, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Trinity College Dublin, Bocconi University, Indiana University Indianapolis, The University of Utah, IE University, Northeastern University and University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Country representatives like Campus France, Think New Zealand, United States – India Educational Foundation (USIEF), Austradde and education consultants like IDP Education were also present. Highlighting the significance of the event, Dr Prithvi Datta Chandra Shobhi, Dean and Associate Professor of History, School of Interwoven Arts and Sciences (SIAS), Krea University said, “Higher Education Day is a key event in our academic calendar, providing a platform to interact with representatives, foster deeper connections and forge meaningful partnerships.”
The event provided a dynamic platform for students to explore global educational opportunities, engage directly with university representatives and receive personalised guidance on pursuing higher studies abroad.
Reflecting on the event’s impact, Abhishek Boral, Senior Recruitment Adviser (South Asia), Queen Mary University of London, remarked, “It’s been a fruitful experience interacting with students and helping them realise their international education dreams and walking them through all the key aspects of admissions. It’s inspiring to see such potential and interest among young minds.”
Sharing her experience, Ava Arjun, a student participant said, “The event offers a valuable opportunity to interact directly with representatives from reputed global institutions. It’s an excellent chance for students to network with peers and faculty members at the stalls, gaining deeper insights to shape their future plans. As someone keen on pursuing higher education abroad, events like these simplify the entire process.”
Through interactive sessions, one-on-one discussions and engaging presentations, students gained valuable insights into global academic pathways, admissions processes and future career possibilities. The event marked yet another milestone in Krea University’s commitment to nurturing global-ready leaders.
A research paper by Vijaya C, Senior Faculty Associate of Finance, Accounting, & Quantitative Finance, IFMR GSB has been published in in the Journal of Indian Business Research. Titled, Tracking Smart Beta indices during different market phases: A “smarter” option for passive investors?, the paper is co-authored with Professor Thenmozhi, Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras.
Dr Madhavilatha Maganti, Associate Professor of Psychology, SIAS and Dr Sayantan Mandal, Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology, SIAS will be presenting research papers at SAFAL-2024, one of the more prestigious and competitive cognitive science and psycholinguistics conferences organised by the Association of Cognitive Science at IIT Bombay. Also presenting at the conference is second year SIAS student, Aarthi Venkatesh. Four papers from the Psychology research lab have been selected for this prestigious conference.
Dr Maganti, and Mandal recently presented their latest research findings on anti-local linear search-algorithms as neurocomputational models for vowel harmony in natural language at the 2024 WECOL conference in Fresno, California. A paper-length treatment of the same is to be published by WECOL in February, 2025.
Dr Maganti was also invited as a guest speaker by Allahabad University on 20 November, 2024 where she spoke on infant cognition.
Dr Maganti also presented a talk on ‘Multi-vulnerability assessment of young children and caregivers in Indian cities’ on 25 September 2024 at the India Habitat Center, New Delhi, at the launch workshop of Nurturing Neighbourhoods 2.0 program conducted by the Van Leer Foundation and World Resources Institute. The Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge is an initiative aimed at piloting and scaling strategies to enhance urban living for infants, toddlers, and caregivers.
Dr Maganti at the launch of the workshop of Nurturing Neighbourhoods 2.0 program
Nickhil Sharma, Visiting Faculty at SIAS, recently appeared on BBC Norfolk Radio to talk about his research on smart meters in Great Britain. On 11 November 2024 he participated in an interview with BBC Norfolk Radio, where they explored the rollout of smart meters in Great Britain. Despite being one of the most expensive government-initiated programs in British history, these internet-enabled energy meters have faced criticism for failing to meet targets and not performing as expected. During the interview, Nickhil shared insights from his doctoral research on why the meters might not work, how to identify potential issues, and discussed his research on how overly optimistic narratives that present technologies as quick fixes for complex problems—like optimising household energy use—often fall short. He emphasised the importance of researchers, citizens, policymakers, and technology developers being cautious about perpetuating such narratives.
