World renowned scientists from 34 Commonwealth countries are congregating in Bengaluru on Tuesday for the first Commonwealth Science Conference under the leadership of eminent Indian scientist and Bharat Ratna awardee Professor CNR Rao.
President Pranab Mukherjee and Duke of York, Prince Andrew will attend the inaugural ceremony. Noble laureate and president of Royal Society, Prof Paul Nurse and noted scientist Prof CNR Rao, former chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, will deliver key-note lectures on the opening day of the four-day conference. The conference is being organised by Royal Society and is supported by the Union Government, Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust and city based Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCAR).
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Prof Rao said, "CSC had attracted 350 scientists from different scientific fields and this also includes 120 research scholars from as many as 34 Commonwealth countries across five continents". He said the conference was the first global event being conducted by the 354 year-old Royal Society and it aims to celebrate excellence in Commonwealth science, to provide opportunities for cooperation between researchers in different countries, to inspire young people and to build scientific capacity in the developing nations within the Commonwealth.
''We are receiving representative scientists and leaders of science from almost all Commonwealth countries. Youth will be given priority and we will witness 120 PhD students in the conference,'' he said.