Tag: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

News

8th Annual Conference of Cognitive Science (ACCS8) to be hosted online by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham from 20th-22nd January, 2022

Dec 17, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

New Delhi : Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Mind Brain Center is hosting the eighth edition of the Annual Conference of Cognitive Science (ACCS8) online from January 20-22, 2022.

The three-day event, being held since 2014, is organized by the Association for Cognitive Science (ACS). This year, it will bring together more than 300 scientists and academic scholars from India and around the world to present their research findings related to brain, mind and cognitive sciences in the areas of cognition, neuroscience, human-computer interfacing, psychology, artificial intelligence, philosophy, linguistics, decision making, computer science, yoga and music.

Dr. Shyam Diwakar, Professor and Director, Amrita Mind Brain Center “Cognitive Science is a rapidly growing domain of scientific enquiry in India and offers exciting research and innovation opportunities for future generations of researchers. We are excited to host the 8th edition of ACCS which will bringing hundreds of experts together under one roof. This year, the event will be help completely online, making it possible to broaden the learning opportunities and engagement with the cognitive science community across India and the world.”

The invited keynote speakers include Nandini Singh from the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development; Claudia Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott from University College London in the UK; Egidio D’Angelo from the University of Pavia, Italy; Kenji Doya from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan; Ned Block from New York University, USA; and Bhavani Rao, UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment at the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.

The organizing chair, Prof. Shyam Diwakar, will welcome the participants on behalf of the Association for Cognitive Science (ACS-India). The organizing committee of this year’s conference includes Professors Bapi Raju of IIIT Hyderabad, Narayanan Srinivasan of IIT Kanpur and Krishnaprasad Miyapuram of IIT Gandhinagar.

The conference has extended the call for abstracts until December 21, 2021. The participation for ACCS8 is free but registration is mandatory.

Education, News

Eight Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Students Selected for Google Summer of Code 2021

Jul 13, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, #Chief Mentor of amFOSS & bi0s, #Vipin Pavithran

Mumbai— Eight B.Tech students of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham – ranked the 4th Best Overall University in India in the 2020 National Institution Ranking Framework (NIRF) – have been selected for Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2021, a global annual program in which search engine giant Google awards stipends to students who successfully complete a free and open-source software coding project during the summer.

The selected Amrita students include Alluri Harshit Varma (The Terasology Foundation) and Nived (TensorFlow) as well as others from Amrita’s student clubs amFOSS and bi0s, namely, Pranjal Singh, Vishnu Madhav, Simran Kathpalia, Aswin C, Anoushka Ramesh and Mainak Deb. In addition, two previous-year GSoC students of Amrita from amFOSS, Shashank Priyadarshi and Abhijit Ramesh are also participating this year as mentors for The Apache Software Foundation.

Said Vipin Pavithran, Chief Mentor of amFOSS & bi0s, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham: “Google Summer of Code program is a great opportunity for students and mentors to work together on an open-source project for a period of over three months. Over the last 14 years, many of our students have contributed to various open-source organizations such as VideoLAN, The Linux Foundation, WikiMedia, NetBSD, GNOME, KDE, Mozilla, and INCF. Since 2010, members from amFOSS have been getting selected for the Google Summer of Code program every year. Last year, seven students were selected for GSoC 2020 putting Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri Campus at No. 10 in the global Google Summer of Code 2020 rankings – ahead of several premier institutions in India and abroad from a total of 550 universities bringing the grand total of 55+ GSoC Student Developers from the club.”

Dubbed as the largest open-source event, GSoC requires interested students to submit proposals to one or two participating open-source organisations, describing the details of the project that they wish to do along with their past experiences. The organisation mentors then select the most promising proposals and mentor the students for completing the project.

Said Vipin Pavithran, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham: “Of the eight selected for the program this year, one student is in her first year of college. Along with them, two of amFOSS members – Abhijit Ramesh and Shashank Priyadarshi were selected as mentors for the program. The journey continues this year despite the pandemic and remote working hurdles and couldn’t have been possible without the constant guidance and support of our chancellor, Amma, the university and alumni. With Amma’s blessings, ever since 2006, amFOSS has become one of the leading computer science clubs in India, along with team bi0s being ranked as the No. 1 Capture-The-Flag (CTF) team in the country and 16th internationally in 2020.”

Education, News

National Education Policy 2020 Attracts More Than 400 of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Faculty

Jun 8, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Hyderabad: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham conducted webinars and discussions over a few days for the implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, as per the AICTE guidelines. More than 400 faculty members from six Amrita campuses attended the final webinar session.

Prof. Kamal Bijlani, Director, Strategic Initiatives, gave an overview of NEP 2020 and its scope. Distinguished experts at Amrita, Dr. Sasangan Ramanathan, Dean of Engineering, Dr. Sriram Devanathan, Principal of Engineering, Bengaluru, and others shared their views and strategies for implementing NEP policy.

The senior management of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham pledged to implement the guidelines of NEP 2020 to contribute to the community, state, national and international levels through a variety of innovative initiatives. Dr. P. Venkat Rangan, Vice Chancellor of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham said, “Our Chancellor, Amma has been guiding our university with her spectacular leadership. Few years ago, we initiated the IoE process and we have been ranked among the top private universities. We are glad to note that several of our vision points – Education for Life, Compassion Driven Research, Multidisciplinary, Global Impact – are now an integral part of the new NEP 2020.”

Many faculty members submitted their suggestions for NEP 2020 before the main webinar. Based on these suggestions, interactions were held with the faculty members, and pros and cons of many ideas were discussed and evaluated. These discussions are being crystallised into Amrita’s Action Plan for NEP 2020.

Commenting on the webinar and discussion, Dr. Sankaran K, Registrar of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham said, The NEP 2020 gives a lot of importance to visual thinking. And I believe that in the coming years we will be able to implement a lot of things from this policy in our University. Integration of vocational programs with our main curriculum will be one of our next steps.

Dr. Sasangan Ramanathan, Dean of Engineering of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham added, “We need to be concerned not only about the learning outcomes, but also the job outcomes. We need to work with industry and define the program outcomes so that students are competent in critical thinking, soft skills and the specific job competencies that are currently needed by industry.”

Education, News

Amrita Center for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine bags 7 new medical patents

Jun 5, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, #Director of Amrita Center for Nanoscience and Molecular Medicine and Dean of Research, #Dr. Shanti Kumar V. Nair

National: Amrita Center for Nanoscience and Molecular Medicine at the Kochi Campus of Amrita University has bagged seven national and international patents for its inventions. All seven patents are related to the health sector. Three inventions have received American patents and four inventions have received Indian patents, said Dr. Shanti Kumar V. Nair, Director of Amrita Center for Nanoscience and Molecular Medicine and Dean of Research, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.

The first U.S. patent was granted for a medicine to treat multiple sclerosis, a disease that affects the body’s nervous system. This is a comforting discovery for those suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) worldwide.

The second U.S. patent is for developing the world’s first multimodal nano-contrast agent that can provide improved image resolution in X-rays, MRIs, and infrared fluorescence. It is an effective and innovative discovery for both detection and treatment of cancer.

A third U.S. patent has been obtained for a nanotextile-based small-diameter blood vessel graft which lasts longer without occlusion during use. It has been successfully tested in rabbits and pigs. The next step will be testing in humans.

An Indian patent was obtained for the invention of a core-shell nanoparticle system that could deliver multiple drugs simultaneously and target them to the disease efficiently without causing toxicity. Many cancers require multiple drug administration which can otherwise be very toxic.

An Indian patent was obtained for the development of a new type of surface-nanostructured orthopaedic and dental implant which integrates very well to surrounding normal bone. It improves implant life.

The last Indian patent was obtained for the invention of a new surface-modified stent that prevents blockage of the vessel after implant. Current stents elute drugs to prevent blockage but this stent does not require any drugs.

The research behind these discoveries were led by Dr. Shanti Kumar V. Nair, Director of Amrita Center for Nanoscience and Molecular Medicine, Dr. Manzoor Koyakutty, Dr. Deepthy Menon, Dr Praveen Verma, Dr Krishnakumar Menon, Dr Gopi Mohan, Dr. Anusha Ashokan, and Dr. Vijay Harish.

Amrita Center for Nanoscience and Molecular Medicine now has a total of 21 patents, out of which 11 are international patents. Also, they have applied for a total of 83 patents.

Education, News

No Entrance Exam; Applications invited for Amrita University’s new generation MTech courses

May 24, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Centre for Nanoscience and Molecular Medicine Kochi, is inviting applications for their MTech programs in Nanobiotechnology, Molecular Medicine and Nanoscience and Technology. There will not be any entrance examinations and admissions would be based on Telephonic interviews.

The last date to submit the applications is July 31. Classes will begin in September.

Education

Admissions Open for Amrita University’s M. Tech, M. Sc. and B. Sc. Courses in Nanoscience; Last date July 31

May 16, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Hyderabad, May 15th, 2021: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Center for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine has announced that it is inviting applications from students for their M. Tech, M. Sc and B.Sc courses as well as the Dual Degree programs (M. Sc. + M S, M. Tech + M S) in association with the University of Arizona, USA, for the academic year 2021.

Amirtia Vishwa Vidyapeetham

M.Tech Programs: M. Tech. in Nanobiotechnology, M. Tech. in Nanoscience & Technology, M. Tech. in Molecular Medicine

Eligibility: Bachelor’s Degree or B.E/B.Tech degree in any of the following disciplines – Biotechnology, Genetic Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Food Process Engineering, Bioinformatics, Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural and Irrigation Engineering, Pharmaceutical Engineering, Food Technology and any other Bioengineering related courses from a recognized university with at least 60% marks or equivalent.

OR

Professional degree or equivalent degree (MSc) in Molecular biology, Medical Biotechnology, Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Botany, Zoology, Medical Genetics, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Food Science and nutrition, Environmental Science, Environmental Health Sciences, Applied Psychology, Nursing, Allied Health Sciences, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Agriculture, Horticulture and Sericulture or any bioscience course with at least 60% marks or equivalent.

OR

Professional degree or equivalent degree in Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary, Ayurveda, Homeopathy and Pharmacy with at least 60% marks from a recognized University.

M. Sc. Programs: M.Sc. (Nanobiotechnology), M.Sc. (Nanoscience and Technology), M.Sc. (Molecular Medicine)

Eligibility: Professional degree or equivalent degree in Medicalnanobiotechnology, Nanotechnology, Biomedical Sciences, Medical Genetics, Medical Microbiology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Health informatics, Clinical Research, Food Science and Nutrition, Environmental Science, Environmental Health Sciences, Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Physics, Allied Health Sciences or any other bioscience related courses with at least 60% marks from a recognized University.

Amrita University and University of Arizona Dual Degree:

M.Sc. + M S or MTech. + M S courses (Two years/Four Semesters): M.Sc. (Nanobiotechnology) + M S (Cellular & Molecular Medicine), M.Sc. (Molecular Medicine) + M S (Cellular & Molecular Medicine), M. Tech. (Nanobiotechnology) + M S (Cellular & Molecular Medicine), M. Tech. (Molecular Medicine) + M S (Cellular & Molecular Medicine)

Eligibility: Professional degree or equivalent in Molecular Biology, Medical Biotechnology, Medical Microbiology, Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, Botany, Zoology, Medical Genetics, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, health informatics, Clinical Research, Food Science and nutrition, Environmental Science, Environmental Health Sciences, and Applied Biology, Applied Psychology , Nursing, Allied Health Sciences, Agriculture, Horticulture, Sericulture, Forestry or any other Allied Health Science courses with at least 60% marks from a recognized University.

As part of the dual degree program, students can spend upto 1 year at the University of Arizona campus, a Public University in the United States, and for a reduced fee. Those who successfully complete the dual degree course will receive a degree of Amrita University and a degree of University of Arizona.

___________________________________________________________________

B. Sc. Program: B. Sc. in Molecular Medicine

Eligibility: Students can apply with available plus-one or plus-two result with at least 60% aggregate marks in Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

There will be no entrance examination for any of these courses. Instead, admissions will be by telephone interview. The last date to submit the applications is July 31. Classes will begin in September.

For more information visit https://www.amrita.edu/admissions/nano.

Email: nanoadmissions@aims.amrita.edu.

Phone: 0484 2858750 (08129382242)

Education

Admissions Open for Amrita University’s MTech, MSc and BSc Courses in Nanoscience; Last date July 31.

May 13, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

KOCHI, 13 MAY 2021: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, a legacy institution with an excellent academic reputation, invites applications from students for their BSc, MTech, and MSc courses as well as the Dual Degree programs in association with the University of Arizona, USA, for the academic year 2021.

There will be no entrance examination for any of these courses. Instead, admissions will be by telephone interview. The last date to submit the applications is July 31. Classes will begin in September.

For More information visit https://www.amrita.edu/admissions/nano.

Email: nanoadmissions@aims.amrita.edu.

Phone: 0484 2858750 (08129382242)

Education

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Only Indian University to Figure in World’s Top 100 Universities in Times Higher Education Impact Rankings

Apr 22, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Mumbai: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has emerged in the Top 100 universities in the world in the just released Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings. Holding 81st rank, Amrita is the only university from India to appear in the prestigious top 100 list.

THE’s Impact Rankings rate universities against the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are global goals adopted by all UN member nations to improve life for all people in the world and protect the planet. They attempt to document evidence of the impact that universities have upon the society, in addition to their research and teaching performance.

Notably, Amrita has been ranked No. 5 in the world for furthering SDG4 (Quality Education) and No. 8 for SDG5 (Gender Equality). The varsity was also ranked 37th for SDG3 (Good Health & Well-Being); 52nd for SD6 (Clean Water & Sanitation); and between 101-200 for SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure) as well as SDG17 (Partnership for The Goals).

“Times Higher Education are delighted by the performance of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham in this year’s Impact Rankings,” said Duncan Ross, Chief Data Officer, Times Higher Education. “Their commitment to core humanity, that lies at the heart of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, shone through in their submission. India has a huge role to play in delivering a sustainable future for the world, and the work that its universities do, as exemplified by Amrita, is vital.”

Added Ramu Damodaran, Chief of United Nations Academic Impact: “To Chancellor Amma, and all who work with her at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, our gratitude and congratulations for their stellar performance in THE Impact Rankings for realizing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Amrita joined United Nations Academic Impact in hosting an event in July 2015 for distinguished scholars to discuss the direct connection between academic research and the ‘dignity and worth of the human person. Thus, the premise of the UN Charter was dramatically affirmed.”

Said Dr. P Venkat Rangan, Vice-Chancellor, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham: “Our Hon’ble Prime Minister started the ‘Institute of Eminence’ program to put Indian educational institutions within the top 100 universities in the world in 10 years. We are therefore very happy that Amrita University has found its place in the top 90 universities in the world in THE Impact Rankings. This is a testament to the vision of world-renowned humanitarian leader and Chancellor, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi, in setting the dual goals of education for life and compassion-driven research. The recognition would not have been possible but for the untiring efforts of our students and faculty. I am happy with the consistency in recognition to the academic excellence, outstanding faculty, and world-class infrastructure that Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is known for.”

Under the guidance and leadership of its Chancellor, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Amrita varsity has a long-standing tradition of focusing its research to uplift the economically challenged and other vulnerable sections of the society. This includes Live-in-Labs®, a credit-based programme through which students and faculty go to rural villages throughout India and, while living in those communities, identify and assess the villagers’ needs and develop and implement viable solutions. With more than 150 projects in 21 states across India, Live-in-Labs® participants have touched the lives of approximately 60,000 rural residents during the past several years, clocking 200,000 + hours in the field working towards sustainable development in rural communities.

Amrita has also drawn acclaim for its adult-literacy programs and provision of Internet literacy in tribal populations. The varsity has India’s first-ever UNESCO Chair on Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment, runs a massive women-empowerment program, and is home to NIRF’s No 7-ranked teaching hospital that has conducted massive charitable outreach to the poor. The university is involved in a massive program to bring clean drinking water to 10 million people throughout India, among many other such programs.

Education

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham to Invest Rs 100 crore for Setting up 50 New Research Labs

Apr 12, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, #Dr. P Venkat Rangan, #Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, #Vie-Chancellor

Hyderabad, April 12, 2021: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, ranked the 4th Best Overall University in India in the 2020 NIRF ranking, has announced a grant of Rs 100 crore to set up 50 state-of-the-art ‘New Discovery and Innovation Labs’at its campuses across India. These research powerhouses, to be operational within the next one year, will be led by the varsity’s faculty and students. The new labs will drive cutting-edge innovation and discoveries in fields such as engineering, medical sciences, computer sciences, material sciences, nano bio sciences, biotechnology, biomedical engineering, and sustainable development.

The announcement was made during the inaugural ceremony of the first edition of Amrita Innovation & Research Awards (AIRA)presided over by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Chancellor and world-renowned humanitarian, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Amma.

Prof. Maneesha Sudheer of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham recieving the award from Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi
Prof. Maneesha Sudheer of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham recieving the award from Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi

The Awards were given in six categories to recognize and honor the varsity’s outstanding faculty, including: Chancellor’s Research Excellence Award, New Discovery & Innovation Labs, Chancellor’s Innovation Award, Chancellor’s Publication Excellence Award, Publication Merit Award, and Certificate of Appreciation for Research. Prizes worth Rs 2.5 crore were given to winners of the Awards.

Said Amma (Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi), Chancellor, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham: “Attaining new knowledge, conducting research and pursuing innovations greatly contributes to the progress and development of individuals as well as the nation. However, most often, the direct beneficiaries of such knowledge are privileged, educated people living in cities. Intentionally or unintentionally, the innovations and technology that are the fruits of academic knowledge rarely percolate down to uplift our rural regions. And even if they do, they disrupt rural cultures. Often, they destroy people’s inherent innocence—negatively impacting the traditions and customs of villagers whose lifestyle is mostly in harmony with nature. This creates a strange distortion, like unconnected body parts being joined to each other, and ends up destroying our villages. This should not be allowed to happen. Research should benefit the common man. At the same time, we should be careful to safeguard the serenity, beauty and culture of our rural villages. Only then will the nation’s progress become complete. Only a value-based research program can pave the way for such balanced progress.”

Said Dr. P Venkat Rangan, Vie-Chancellor, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham: “Research and innovation are the key to leverage modern technology for the development of the nation. In our mission to create a highly productive and trained manpower for national benefit, we are recognising, mentoring and incentivising our talented young faculty workforce. Emerging from the pandemic, we have been surprised to see significant accomplishments and outstanding research outcomes of our faculty in the form of publications and patents, despite the difficult period last year.”

Seven distinguished professors of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham bagged Chancellor’s Research Excellence Awards for figuring in the list of top 2% scientists in the world in their respective fields. These included Prof. Maneesha Sudheer (Networking & Telecommunications), Prof. Radhika N (Mechanical Engineering), Prof. Shantikumar Nair (Polymers), Prof. R. Jayakumar (Polymers), Prof. Madhav Dutta (Energy), Dr. Krishnakumar R. (Paediatric Cardiology) and Amrita alumni Dr. Vinaykumar (Cybersecurity).

The Chancellor’s Innovation Awards recognized 49 patents, both national and international, that were granted to Amrita faculty over the last five years. These patents created intellectual property for the varsity and the country in the areas of biotechnology, nano-biosciences, engineering and medicine.

The Chancellor’s Publication Excellence Awards were given to individual faculty members who distinguished themselves by publishing high-impact papers in Tier 1 journals around the world in the pandemic times. About 500 faculty members of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, as authors and coauthors, published around 150 research papers in top-ranked peer-reviewed journals last year in the teeth of the pandemic. This showcases the high caliber of intellectual capital residing at the varsity.

The Guests of Honour at the Awards ceremony included Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog; Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director, National Science Foundation, USA; G Satheesh Reddy, Chairman, DRDO; Subhasis Chaudhuri, Director, IIT Bombay; VenuGovindaraju, VP for Research and Economic Development, University of Buffalo; and Prasant Mohapatra, Vice Chancellor for Research, University of California.

Speaking on the occasion, Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog, said: “I am glad to note that the incubator at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, supported by Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), is performing exceptionally well by supporting more than 100 startups, and that 6 of them have raised external investment worth Rs. 174.3 crores.”The entire academic community of Amrita including 1,500 faculty members and 15,000 students attended the event.

Business World, Education, Technology

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Women-Only Cybersecurity Conference ShaktiCon to begin April 9, 2021

Apr 1, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Amrita Center for Cybersecurity Systems & Networks, #Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, #Assistant Professor, #Prof. Vipin Pavithran

Hyderabad: More than 3,000 women hackers from India and around the world are expected to attend Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s three-day global conference on cybersecurity called ShaktiCon that begins on April 9, 2021. In the run-up to the event, a 36-hour, women-only Capture the Flag (CTF) contest would be held from April 3-5, 2021, in which contestants will face challenges from the fields of cryptography, reversing, forensics, Pwn and web exploitation.

ShaktiCon is a completely free global conference focused on inspiring, training, and upskilling women in the field of cybersecurity. It offers training programmes to nurture women talent in the field, a global cyber-security conference with talks and panel discussions by leading women professionals in cyber-security, and a women-only CTF hacking contest to showcase talent and win prizes and scholarships. The event is organized by Team Shakti, India’s first and top-ranked women-only CTF team of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.

The pre-conference global cybersecurity contest held in December 2020 attracted more than 1,500 women hackers with 828 teams from five continents. The participants, which have now grown to more than 3,000 women, received free access to premium learning platforms such as TryHackMe and PentesterLabs, practice challenges and training videos. They will be attending the upcoming ShaktiCon conference and participating in the CTF hacking contest.

Said Prof. Vipin Pavithran, Assistant Professor, Amrita Center for Cybersecurity Systems & Networks, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, who is the organizer of ShaktiCon: “Cybersecurity is considered a masculine domain and most women don’t see it as a viable career path. The cybersecurity industry needs more women, and alsohas to open up for them. Demand is outstripping supply in this field. In the next five years, the number of jobs in cybersecurity will triple. Over 3.5 million new cybersecurity jobs would be created in 2021 alone. Despite this, women comprise only 20% of the total workforce in cybersecurity, and only 1% of them are in top leadership positions. The future of the cybersecurity industry depends on its ability to attract, retain and promote women, who represent a skilled and under-tapped resource.”

He added: “The focus of our annual conference ShaktiCon is advancing the leadership and professional development of women in the field of cybersecurity and showcase the next generation of offensive and defensive security technologies. ShaktiCon offers a platform for female researchers and hackers from around the world to close the skills gap with men and help fix the gender gap in cybersecurity.”

The keynote address at the ShaktiCon would be delivered by Rinki Sethi, VP and Chief Information Security Officer at Twitter Inc., followed by talks and training by eminent women cybersecurity experts such as Sung Lee from VMware, Sanju Misra from Linde, Mina Sheikhalishahi from Eindhoven University of Technology, Allison Marie Naaktgeboren from Portland State University, Bhavna Soman from Microsoft and SreepriyaChalakkal from Siemens.

Team Shakti is India’s first and only women CTF team consisting of budding young female minds who want to make a difference in the field of cyber-security and fix the gender gap. The team participates in “Capture The Flag” competitions and provides training to school and university students, conducts CTFs, develops cybersecurity tools and participates in bug bounties. “Team Shakti has become one of the leading women-only CTF teams in India within just two years” said Prof. Vipin Pavithran, the founder and mentor of Team Shakti. The Club, based at the varsity’s Amritapuri campus, is run by the students themselves with the help of research scholars, alumni, and faculty members.

For more details visit- https://shakticon.com