Pune: MIT World Peace University will host the third National Scientists Roundtable from July 17 to 19. The forum brings together scientists, researchers and students across disciplines.RM Chitnis, vice-chancellor of MIT-WPU and co-chairman of NSRTC 2026, said the conference aims to inspire young people, especially those in engineering and other fields, to pursue research. “Our topics are divided into different verticals, but they all talk about how to think beyond existing thinking, how to identify society’s needs and problems, and how to solve these needs through innovation. We have scientists on the panel who have worked with Nobel Prize winners. Hearing their experiences will help students gain insight into how great minds work and what makes them unique,” Chitnis said.Bharat Choudhari, director of R&D at MIT WPU and convener of NSRTC 2026, said that the official website will soon have a link for foreign students to register. “As seats are limited, it is very important for students to register on the link and get approved. However, the event is free of charge,” said Choudhari, adding that NSRTC events held in the past two years have resulted in a slight increase in the number and quality of papers published by students and staff in reputed journals.Akash Joshi, Chairman, NSRTC and Founder, Microlin Technologies, USA, spoke about the importance of making every effort to uplift and provide opportunities to rural students in India. He said that if India wants to achieve real development, technological innovation plays a vital role.During the event, MM Sharma, a world-renowned chemical engineer, former director of the Department of ICT, Mumbai, and a fellow of the Royal Society, will be awarded the Vigyan Maharshi Award for his outstanding contribution to science. Meanwhile, the DeepTech Young Entrepreneur Award will be presented to Nikunj Parashar, founder of Pune-based Sagar Defense Engineering Pvt. Ltd.’s indigenous marine autonomous and defense robotics solutions, and Swaasa co-founder Narayana Rao Sripada’s AI-powered smartphone screening solution for respiratory care.
