Ecology and Environs: India's First Digital Uni scaleup innovation

Artificial Intelligence making or breaking humanity’s future, ecological informatics is one of the most challenging areas of research in the emerging scenario. Kerala’s Digital University is decidedly India’s pioneering institution in this regard.  Tucked at the opening of the Phase IV of India’s greenest technopolis-Trivandrum’s Technopark-at Mangalapuram on the National Highway 66 connecting Maharashtra’s Panvel with Kanyakumari in the lands end of India, DUK is soothing to body and mind in an atmosphere of searing heat mellowed by occasional summer rains. 

-Ecology master students led by Instagram celebrity Priyansri  Bargav from Assam at DUK -

Regarding DUK’s commitment for industry interface, I found Tata Elxsi’s imposing structure at its opposite. “I am a passionate advocate for the integration of technology in education, especially advances in digital learning,” Prof. Ciza Thomas Vice Chancellor of DUK told me at her spacious but spartan chamber the other day. A leading promoter of technical education in Kerala, Dr. Ciza headed three government engineering colleges in the state before becoming the Vice Chancellor. 

-Dr. Ciza Thomas, Vice Chancellor-

“We have rediscovered India’s greatest physicist, Nobel Laureate CV Raman, by opening a laboratory named after him for further research in the field of light scattering. Prof Raman had stated that light reflected off the surface of petals contains more information than that transmitted through it,” Dr. R. Jaishankar, Professor of the School of Informatics explained. 

DUK an acronym for Digital University of Sciences, Innovation and Technology, was established in 2020 by the Government of Kerala by converting the IIITM-K (Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management Kerala). The response was tremendous. There were 500 applications for 30 PhD research seats. The popularity for the doctoral programmes was due to the unique topics offered-AI Robotics, Computational Intelligence, Computational Imaging Systems, Ecological Informatics, etc. 

-Lakshmi Niranjana at the University of Bern-

DUK’s five schools are School of Informatics, School of Computer Science and Engineering, School f Digital Humanities and liberal Arts, Schol of Digital Sciences and School of Electronic Systems and Automations. 

The huge demand for qualified candidates with theoretical and practical knowledge in the latest technologies are designed to be met by programmes in Ecological Informatics, AI, Cognitive Sciences, Cyber Security, Computational Economics and Computational Social Science (focus on AI, Data and Society).

-Intern’l participants at Applied Geoinformatics meet at DUK-

The School for Informatics offer two post graduate courses -MSc Ecology and MSc Environmental Sciences both having pivotal role in Ecological Informatics. The four-semester courses have transdisciplinary domain that integrates ecology, computational science, informatics, and social sciences to improve the understanding of ecological processes. For MSc Ecology, major Electives are Mathematical Thinking in Ecology, Spatial Informatics, Ecological Modelling, Global Change Ecology, Advanced topics in Ecology, Forest Ecology and Urban Ecology. 

-Prof R. Jaishankar and colleague Dr. Arathi Kakkara-

MSc Environmental Science has 5 specializations in Environmental Data Science, Ecological Informatics, Sustainable Studies, Environmental Communication, Ocean and Climate Informatics. It offers five electives of international import, for the first time in the country.

It is astounding that the academics and researchers from the School of Informatics have opportunities to be recognised across the globe as research scholars and postdoctoral researchers Some notables include: 

1. Sayed Majad K, Universidade de Aveiro, Atlantic International Research Center, Portugal,2.Abigith Baby, The Habitat Trust, 3. Harikrishnan S, Inspire Fellow, PhD Scholar, DUK, 4. Malavika S Nair, Associate, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, 5. Yadhukrishna KG, Associate, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Palakkad, 6. Lakshmi Niranjana Thinkswiss Research Scholar, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland, 7. Akshaya N C, Zoological Survey of India, 

-Jaishankar at Nalanda; at Hanovar-

Current Scholars: Sangamesh Kambar, GATE 2024, Ecology and Evolution, Rank 178, Adith MK, Shillim Institute Fellowship for Ecological Research and Sai Shankar G. Nair, Member Youth Leadership Council, Jane Goodall Institute, India

The following scholars are pursuing doctoral research at the School: Anjaly Unnikrishnan, Aleesha Fathima, Arjun C P. Arun S, Asulabha K, Harikrishnan S, Minu Merin Sabu, Sadhvi Kwatra and Sincy Varghese. Postdoctoral associates at the CV Raman laboratory are Dr. Vishnu. M and Dr. Sajeev Rajan.

-Dr. Arathi Ram in Bradford, Anuja Joseph in Macquaries,  .  Sydney-

The teaching faculty with their research interest are:

Floral Radiometry – Dr. R. Jaishanker (Professor) and Dr. Athira K, Ecoacoustics – Dr. R. Jaishanker. Biological Invasion – Dr. Sooraj N P, Quantitative Ecology – Dr. R. Jaishanker and Dr. Suresh.I. Ecological Modelling – Dr. Santanu Ray (Distinguished Visiting Professor), Oceanography – Dr. I. Suresh, Sustainability – Dr. R. Jaishanker and Dr Sushant Singh. 

Prof. Jaishankar has had a stint as Professor and Dean of SEES-School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences of Nalanda University in Bihar where Nobel laureate Amarthya Sen was the first Chancellor. He has also participated in programmes in UK, Germany, Hungary, Malaysia and China. UNESCO has lauded his scientific achievements. He won IBM commendations twice and is on the panel that nominates for the Blue Planet Prize instituted by the Japanese Asahi Foundation.

Sajeev with Jerome Sueur of Museum Naturelle, France; . Dr. Indu Indirabai at Aarhus. Denmark

Ecology students with their master Dr. Suresh I

Dr. Suraj N.P, at Jomo Kenyata Agri Uni, Nairobi; Sayed Majad in Aveiro, Portugal