Patna: Patna Women’s College (Autonomous), in collaboration with Mount Carmel College (Autonomous), Bengaluru, concluded a two-day Online International Conference titled “Translating Science into Solutions: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Real-World Problems (ICTSSMARP–2026)” on January 16 and 17.
The event opened with a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony and prayer, followed by welcome addresses from Dr. Sister M. Rashmi A.C., Principal of Patna Women’s College, and Dr. Regina L. Suganthi, Registrar (Admissions), Mount Carmel College. Dr. Sister M. Rashmi highlighted the critical role of scientific research, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration in tackling global challenges, while Dr. Suganthi emphasised the value of inter-institutional partnerships in fostering knowledge exchange. The inaugural session also featured the release of the conference Compendium of Abstracts.
Dr. Arti Kumari, Head of the Department of Biotechnology and Convener of the conference, outlined the relevance of the theme in contemporary scientific discourse. Prof. Saumitra Das of IISc Bengaluru, guest of honour, spoke on the importance of integrative research and collaborative innovation, particularly in pandemic preparedness and personalised medicine. The session was compered by Dr. Niti Yashvardhini, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, and concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Preeti Swarupa.
The conference featured plenary sessions chaired by Dr. Shobha Srivastava, Dean of the Faculty of Science, on the first day, and Dr. Birendra Prasad, Head of the Department of Botany, Patna University, on the second. Over the two days, distinguished speakers from India and abroad—including Stanford School of Medicine (USA), University of Delhi, National Institute of Biologicals (Noida), Medical College Boston (USA), University of Antwerp (Belgium), IISc Bengaluru, and NIMHANS Bengaluru—presented their research.
Parallel technical sessions engaged more than 350 participants from institutions such as Pondicherry University, Mount Carmel College, University of Delhi, and Patna Women’s College. Discussions spanned topics including plant stress biology, biodiversity conservation, bioinformatics, genomics, and emerging biotechnologies.
The conference concluded with a valedictory session on January 17, where Dr. Keshvardana Sanula, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, IISc Bengaluru, stressed the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to bridge the gap between research and real-world application. The programme ended with the National Anthem.
ICTSSMARP–2026 was organised through the collective efforts of faculty from Patna Women’s College and Mount Carmel College, reinforcing the role of multidisciplinary research, academic collaboration, and student engagement in addressing contemporary scientific challenges.
