Power of science discussed at webinar by PUAA

Chandigarh: Panjab University Alumni Association, in collaboration with Women in Science-WISe, under the stewardship of Prof. Deepti Gupta, Dean Alumni Relations, organized a web lecture on “Being a True Daughter of Old Time" by Dr. Jayanti Dutta, Deputy Director, Human Resource Development Centre, Panjab University.
 
Prof. Archana Bhatnagar from Department of Biochemistry, welcomed everyone and Dr. Nishima Wangoo from UIET introduced the speaker to all the participants. 

Dr Jayanti Dutta is Faculty in Human Resource Development Centre, Panjab University, Chandigarh. She has worked with about 5000 teachers regarding Higher Education Faculty training. She thinks, writes and researches on varied topics including science popularisation, critical thinking, action research. She is a national level CSIR-OSDD awardee for her short film on Tuberculosis.

Dr. Jayanti Dutta started the presentation by quoting lines from “Sonnet to Science” by Edgar Allan Poe and said that she agreed with the first two lines that science is a daughter of Philosophy but not the rest of the sonnet as she believes that science is very awe inspiring and very poetic. Then Dr. Dutta spoke about how she chose a career in science. Interestingly, she said that she just followed the social stream and opted for science as that was what students who scored well in those days did. Gradually she entered research and as she started going to conferences, sharing and presenting knowledge, she felt the power of Science. She found it addictive. Then she started her profession in science in the field of faculty training. There, she found that the behaviour and attitude of the people in science was rigid in the sense that they believed that science is absolute and cannot change. She feels this is not true and that is why teaching only knowledge does not bear fruit.
 
In teaching science, we should focus on teaching the scientific attitude and spirit. The skills of science also include the skills of speaking, writing, critical thinking etc. as students have to present and defend their ideas, persuade and convince too. Core subject knowledge is not really useful unless students are given the skills of the profession. She also insisted that students should be allowed to choose their subjects and parents or society should not put them under any pressure. Dr. Dutta concluded by saying that scientific temper is the antidote to many of the issues we face in the world and we should induce it in the masses. Science skills are for everyone.
 
There was an interactive session with the participants where Dr. Dutta answered their questions and also discussed about her short film on Tuberculosis which was highly appreciated. The participants asked many interesting questions and thanked Dr. Dutta for her session. 

Dr. Nishima Wangoo, Asst. Prof, UIET proposed a formal vote of thanks.