How the RSC's CSIR partnership will help India's next generation of chemists

Thousands of excited schoolchildren descended on laboratories across India to learn about sustainability and energy as part of our latest global battery experiment, Take Charge.

Youngsters in attendance explored the science behind batteries and listened to a popular lecture from CSIR Director General Dr N Kalaiselvi on why batteries are such a crucial part of our energy future. Dr Kalaiselvi, who is the first woman to head Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratories in its 75-year history, was particularly well placed to lead the discussions as she is building next-generation energy products.

The mega outreach programme, aided by 350 volunteers and 150 teachers, was organised to celebrate a formal partnership between the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the CSIR. RSC Chief Operating Officer Paul Lewis and CSIR-Human Resource Development Group head Dr Geetha Vani Rayasam signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), alongside Dr Kalaiselvi and RSC India Managing Director Ajit Sharma.

The agreement will see the two organisations collaborate to expand the existing teacher training programme and Chemistry Camps in India, and soon launch several online education initiatives.

The launch event saw the schoolchildren make batteries out of coins at all 30 CSIR laboratories around India after the RSC and CSIR committed to partnering on the latter’s Jigyasa programme, which is a nationwide programme aimed at reaching young people and researchers.

Yusuf Hamied Education Initiative

Although the RSC has worked with the chemistry community in India for more than 75 years, our education initiatives took deeper roots when the RSC-Yusuf Hamied Inspirational Chemistry Programme was launched in 2014. Philanthropist and chairman of pharmaceuticals company Cipla, Mr Hamied, shares a mutual goal with the Royal Society of Chemistry, to improve the quality of science teaching and inspire students to take up chemical sciences for a better world.

Under this programme, we launched RSC Teacher Training workshops, which equip teachers with proven techniques to engage students with science, and residential chemistry camps for students from government-funded schools to inspire them to pursue a degree in chemistry.

Overwhelming positive response

The response to this educational initiative has been far-reaching and impactful. There has been very enthusiastic feedback from teachers and students.

Lopdiang Lun Snailang, a student at St Francis Xavier Secondary School, Mowsynram, in the state of Meghalaya, said: “Through this camp I got new experience like practical activities, to know more about chemistry. All practical and non-practical activities were so interesting. The meals were excellent, and I enjoyed my stay in the hostel. Through this camp I made friends with people who are from different places. I hope I will take up chemistry in my higher studies.”

The RSC has now conducted 35 Yusuf Hamied Chemistry Camps in 17 states of India, in 11 regional languages. More than 2,265 students from 861 schools participated in the camps, which will resume this year after being suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Teacher Training Programme has been widely accepted as reflected in the numbers. A total of 35,000 teachers across over 12,000 schools in India have been trained since the programme launched.

Mr Hemant Lagvankar, a teacher who received the training, said: “The workshop had a positive impact on teachers and it is motivating us to execute active learning techniques in the classroom, as well as to spread these techniques for the betterment of students”.

Adapting to COVID challenges

As the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges in the field of education, the Yusuf Hamied Inspirational Science Programme also faced hurdles. However, the scheme has adapted and used a digital model, which was a big change for everyone involved. We retrained the trainers to adopt a new model of teaching online, without compromising on quality.

The online workshops, which began in August 2021, have become a mainstay for delivery of the teacher training module. Interestingly, the training workshops have reached beyond Indian shores, as teachers from neighbouring countries and the Middle East are joining the training programme.

During the pandemic, we also joined Indian Institute of Science and Research (IISER), Pune, to help teachers with concepts of digital learning and teaching techniques. A webinar series for teachers – Teaching the Next-Gen – reached more than 3,000 teachers/educators across India, besides participants from at least 15 countries across different continents. The 12-part series attracted in excess of 55,000 views on YouTube. The series caught the interest of teachers with different backgrounds such as science, arts, social science, computers, commerce, technology and mathematics.

The CSIR-Jigyasa programme will soon be launching a range of online learning initiatives, with the potential to dramatically expand the impact of its outreach programme. The CSIR is going to share the RSC’s learning resources through the platform, helping us reach many more students and teachers around India.

iRISE: Building culture of innovation

We are currently collaborating with the Indian Government’s Department of Science and Technology, IISER Pune, British Council, and Tata Technologies, one of the Tata Group companies, to build a culture of innovation.

Known as iRISE, this programme is bringing together industry and academic leaders to foster a thriving ecosystem for STEM education, research, and innovation in India. This programme, which supports India’s flagship MANAK programme, has different strands – teacher training, early career researchers, particularly PhD students, a thought leadership forum, and CXO Forum.

The Teacher Development Strand (TDS) focuses on training teachers to better understand a culture of creativity and innovation based on STEM subjects. The programme hopes to develop 450 Innovation Champions (trainers) who will in turn train more than 13,500 teachers during the next three years.

Upskilling PhD students

Under the early career researchers strand, a holistic career programme has been planned, to empower PhD scholars to enhance their professional skills and work with the industry. This will be done through online/offline training of skills such as leadership, collaboration, management, communication, diversity and inclusion, resilience, entrepreneurship, and innovation skills, with a 12-week internship programme in collaboration with industries.

Paul added: “iRISE is a fantastic opportunity to turbo-charge scientific development in India, and I am excited to see the outcomes in the coming months and years.”

India is vital

As a global powerhouse of research and innovation, India is vital to the future of the chemical sciences, just as the chemical sciences are vital to the future of India.

"In the coming years, education will be important in RSC's India strategy to engage with the next generation. The RSC has a huge opportunity, working with partners, to support and develop the chemical sciences community," Ajit said.