Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Springer Nature India continued its India Research Tour with a visit to BITS Pilani, K. K. Birla, Goa campus. An engaging discussion was held at the institute on the transformative power of open access in shaping the future of research, bringing together thought leaders, academicians, and students to explore the impact of open access on advancing global knowledge sharing.
The India Research Tour, which began in Delhi on 19th September, has been traversing across western and southern India, making stops at renowned institutions in Rajasthan, UP, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. Their latest stop was at BITS Pilani’s Goa campus and the Naval War College here. The tour designed in collaboration with ICSSR and the Ministry of Education, Government of India aims to engage with the research community and highlight Springer Nature’s commitment to supporting researchers and institutions in advancing scientific discovery.
During the panel discussion at BITS Pilani Goa, an engaging discussion was to discuss the critical role open access is playing in ensuring greater visibility and impact for researchers, fostering innovation, and breaking down barriers to accessing knowledge. The panel discussion was moderated by Nidhi Gulati, Country Communications Director, Springer Nature Group and included Prof. Snehanshu Saha, Department of Computer Science and Information Systems and Prof. Sanjay K. Sahay, Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, Swati Meherishi, Editorial Director (Books), Applied Sciences, APAC and MEA, and Ed Gerstner, Director, Research Environment Alliances- Academic Affairs as panelists. This initiative is part of Springer Nature’s broader mission to make science accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Speaking about the importance of the India Research Tour, Venkatesh Sarvasiddhi, Managing Director, Springer Nature India Private Limited, said, “At Springer Nature, we believe that open access is a crucial enabler of global research collaboration and impact. By making research freely available, we are empowering researchers to contribute to societal progress on a global scale. Our India Research Tour allows us to engage directly with some of India’s leading academic institutions, fostering discussions around the latest trends in research publishing, and open access is at the heart of this transformation.”
Prof. Suman Kundu, Senior Professor and Director of BITS Pilani, K. K. Birla Goa campus, added, “We are delighted to welcome the Springer Nature India Research Tour to our campus. This initiative presents an excellent opportunity for our students and faculty to interact with leading minds in the publishing industry and understand the evolving dynamics of research dissemination. Open access is a crucial element for increasing the reach and relevance of research, and this discussion will immensely benefit our academic community.”
The tour will be moving south to Manipal University, progressing to institutions in Kerala, before culminating in Chennai on 16 October at SRM University.
