Speeches & Articles

U.S. Consul General Henry V. Jardine
Inaugural Session of the Indo-U.S. Conference on Novel and Complex Materials
Satyendra Nath Bose National Center for Basic Sciences

Kolkata,
October 26, 2005

Remarks

The relationship between the U.S. and India is running at an all-time high.  And, “the best is yet to come,” as noted by President Bush and Prime Minister Singh when they met in New York last September.  Others have reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to engage with India broadly and take steps to expand and deepen the cooperation in a number of areas.  This, to lay a strong foundation for long-term strategic partnership, working together on the basis of not only shared values, but also shared interests.  Globalization is erasing national boundaries and building networks among nations and economies.

Cooperation between India and the United States is characterized by over five decades of successful and productive exchange of scientists and scientific ideas, joint workshops and conferences, joint/collaborative research projects, training/fellowship programs and technology transfer in virtually all areas - traditional and frontier.  It began in the early 1960s in agriculture, and spreading into areas of energy, ecology, stellar astronomy, molecular biology, materials and metallurgy, earth sciences, computer science and weather and climate. 

Our two countries established a $110 million “Rupee Fund” in 1987 to promote and fund science and technology collaboration and educational and cultural exchanges, stimulating a broad set of cooperative activity until 1998. 

The Indo-U.S. S&T Forum, created in 2000, was endowed with a part of the remaining Rupee Funds.  In five years, the Forum has provided an environment for individual creative powers to flourish, supporting a range of activities in a spirit of shared common purpose.  For example, it has sponsored 32 workshops and enabled over 3,000 scientists to make contact.  More importantly, the participation of U.S. scientists made it possible for them to see for themselves the transformations that India has undergone. 

Some meetings have been ambitious and complex.  At the Indo-US Conference on Space, Science, Applications and Commerce in 2004 over 400 Indian and American scientists developed an agenda for bilateral cooperation to keep us busy for years to come.  Another event by the Indian National Science Academy and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in January brought together young U.S. and Indian scientists in disparate disciplines to encourage them to look beyond their specialties. Upcoming events include the Frontiers of Engineering being put together by IIT Kanpur and the National Academy of Engineering.   I believe there is a speaker from IIT Kanpur at this workshop too.

Today, more than ever, the U.S. and India are committed to create the framework allowing the power and genius of scientists to build strength, create wealth and generate opportunities and conditions that will ensure security and prosperity for decades to come.

Under the Ministry of External Affairs, we have the Indo-U.S. High Technology Cooperation Group to identify research in dual use technology pertaining to Nano, Bio, Info and Defense technologies and to initiate public-private partnership projects. 

On October 17, our two countries signed a Science & Technology Agreement that for the first time establishes protocols on intellectual property and other provisions necessary to conduct joint research.  It is expected to strengthen capabilities and expand relations between our extensive scientific and technological communities. The new agreement will complement Forum activity by facilitating follow-on technical collaborations targeted among government agencies, the private sector and academia in basic sciences, space exploration, nanotechnology and information technology.

Indians and Americans have demonstrated a natural affinity for partnership towards scientific excellence and achievements.  The workshop being inaugurated today is one such excellent example.

A large number of scientists from this region have strong educational ties with American universities and institutions.  Many have returned to India and Calcutta.   Several have taken up joint research projects with American counterparts under the Indo-U.S. S&T Program.  This city is known to be home to several premier research institutions.  S.N. Bose Center is following the path of one of the makers of Twentieth Century Physics.  Rightly, this workshop is being held here and I hope it will be the platform to launch further bilateral cooperation for new technologies, drawing on the multiple perspectives and scientific research represented among the august gathering.  I wish the deliberations and exchange of scientific knowledge all success.         

Thank you.