Honoring South Asian Innovators

MIT's Indian Business Club, an initiative of the indian student association, Sangam, recently presented the first annual Global Indus Technovators Awards to honor South Asian scientists and innovators. A panel of judges that included a CEO and a Nobel Prize winner selected the 20 winners-among them seven MIT faculty and alumni-from a pool of more than 150 nominees.

The awards are intended to encourage scientific progress, honor South Asian innovators who are advancing their respective fields, and identify role models for the South Asian community. Awards are given in four areas: biotechnology, health care, and medicine; information technology; nanotechnology, materials, and devices; and energy and grass-roots development.

After being recognized at a ceremony last fall, many of the award winners expressed hope that their research would be useful to South Asia. For example, Pawan Sinha, SM '92, PhD '95, an assistant professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, is seeking to treat blindness in his native India, where the condition is widespread among children. He says the awards could have a positive impact in his home country. "By holding up and celebrating a few examples, it sends some very important messages to the South Asian youth," he says. "Success is feasible, there is a community that is ready to help you achieve success, and the inspiration you need to start the journey can often come from understanding the needs of the lands of your origin."