IISER would also engage with society through outreach programmes by taking science beyond the campus
Catch them young is a term which authorities at the Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER), Pune, would now be able to put into practice as they come up with a new 40,000 sq feet state-of-the-art building for hands-on science activity for school and college students, besides teachers and parents.
The project is being undertaken through an endowment from S Balan of Balan Group, which would help IISER in extending its science outreach programme on a full-time basis to middle and high school students.
Speaking about the initiative, IISER director Dr Krishna Ganesh said that the premier institute is already teaching science to children though various activities, imparting pedagogical training to teachers and arranging hands-on activities for school students and parents, amongst other things.
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“However, we believe that with world class science and research institutions that we have in Pune, we have the capacity of being a science development hub. Our aim is to make this centre a major attraction for both citizens and visitors,” Ganesh said.
“We have already identified land within the campus where this building would come up. The building would have have hands-on laboratory spaces for students, a large area for live experiment demonstrations, lecture halls, exhibition areas where models can be put up, and a theatre block amongst others,” Ganesh added.
He further said that IISER hopes to add science and natural history museums and an exploratorium with government funding and public support together.
