Training programme kick-starts

 Tezpur, May 7: In an ambitious partnership aimed at seeding the growth of the next generation of astrophysicists in Asia, UK’s prestigious University of Southampton and Pune-based Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) have joined hands to engage hundreds of students in a series of scientific workshops, training camps and study groups across universities in India and Nepal. The SITARE Project, which means ‘stars’ in Hindi and is short for the Southampton-IUCAA Training for Astronomical Research and Education, was launched through a workshop at Assam’s Tezpur University from May 2 to May 4. The first workshop saw a participation of 46 M.Sc. students from various educational institutions of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, a press release stated. Professor Phil Charles, a former head of department at the University of Southampton, represented the university at the inaugural SITARE workshop in Assam. He said, “I am delighted with the very high level of enthusiasm and engagement of the students I encountered. They are all determined to use this unique opportunity as a stepping stone to a potential career in science and astrophysics. I appreciate their willingness to learn and would like to wish them all the best for their future endeavors.”