APJ Abdul Kalam STEM-ER Centre Indo-US Collaboration

OSU News: "Indo-U.S. Centre of Excellence in STEM-ER is Established", Office of International Affairs, April 28, 2017

                                                    Activities of

                  APJ Abdul Kalam Center for STEM Research and Education

The APJ Abdul Kalam Center for STEM Education and Research is an Indo-US collaborative venture between Aligarh Muslim University, India, and The Ohio State University, USA established in 2013 under the Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative Award of the US Department of State and was formalized and named "APJ Abdul Kalam Center for STEM Education and Research” in 2017 with founding members Prof. Anil K. Pradhan, Dept of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, USA and Prof. Sultana N. Nahar, Dept of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, USA and AMU
Directors, Prof. Tauheed Ahmad, Department of physics, AMU and Prof. Farukh Arjmand, Department of chemistry, AMU, Aligarh.

https://www.amu.ac.in/about3.jsp?did=9155

http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~nahar/indousstemerc/sympcenter1-amunews17.pdf

• APJ Abdul Kalam STEM ER Center received Indo-US 21st Century Initiative (formerly known as the Obama-Singh Initiative) program and supported by the United State India Educational Foundation, USIEF with a financial grant of approximately $250,000 wherein a joint collaborative venture between OSU and AMU a two-year dual-degree Ph.D. + MS program for AMU students in two successive batches was utilized to train eight AMU students in a batch of two (4+4) in STEM subjects in The Ohio State University, USA.  

2014-15

Names of Fellows who visited OSU in the first batch:

1. Asim Rizvi (Email: rizvirizviasim@gmail.com, rizvi.27@buckeyemail.osu.edu)- AMU Advisor: Prof Imrana Naseem, Department of Biochemistry (Email: imrananaseem2009@gmail.com), OSU Advisor: Prof Qi-en Wang, Department of Radiology (Email: qi-en.wang@osumc.edu,Wang.771@osu.edu)
2. Hala (Email: hala.noman@gmail.com, hala.1@buckeyemail.osu.edu)- AMU Advisor: Prof Tauheed Ahmed, Department of Physics (Email: ahmadtauheed@rediffmail.com), OSU Advisor: Sultana N. Nahar, Department of Astronomy (Email: nahar.1@osu.edu).
3. Malik Azeem Anwar (Email:malikazeemanwar@gmail.com, malik.169@buckeyemail.osu.edu)- AMU Advisor: Prof Mohammad Afzal, Department of Zoology (Email: afzal1235@rediffmail.com), OSU Advisor: Prof Guramrit Singh, Department of Molecular Genetics (Email: singh.734@osu.edu)
4. NidaRehmani (Email:nida.rehmani4@gmail.com,rehmani.2@buckeyemail.osu.edu)- AMU Advisor: Prof S.M. Hadi, Department of Biochemistry (Email: smhadi@vsnl.com), OSU Advisor: Prof Altaf Wani, Department of Radiology (Email: Altaf.Wani@osumc.edu, wani.2@osu.edu).

2016-17

Names of Fellows who visited OSU in the second batch :

1. Parvez Alam (Email: parvezalam777@gmail.com)- OSU Advisor: Prof Jaroniec Christopher, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Email: jaroniec@chemistry.ohio- state.edu)- AMU Advisor: Prof Rizwan Khan, Department of Biotechnology (Email: rizwanhkhan1@gmail.com)
2. Sabiha Parveen (Email: sabihap1@gmail.com)- OSU Advisor: Prof James A Cowan, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Email: cowan.2@osu.edu)AMU Advisor: Prof. Farukh Arjmand, Department of Chemistry (Email: farukh_arjmand@yahoo.co.in)

1. Swaleha Naseem (Email: nswaleha@gmail.com)- OSU Advisor: Prof. Roland Kawakami, Department of Physics (Email: roland.kawakami@gmail.com, kawakami.15@osu.edu), AMU Advisor: Prof. Shakeel Khan, Department of Applied Physics (Email: skhanapd@gmail.com)
2. Taqseer Khan (Email: taqi.khan91@gmail.com)- OSU Advisor: Prof Jan Lang, Department of Mathematics (Email: lang.162@osu.edu), AMU Advisor: Prof M. Mursaleen, Department of Mathematics (Email: mursaleenm@gmail.com)

• Dr. Ellen Carpenter, National Science Foundation(NSF), USA visited APJ Abul Kalam STEM Center, for Education and Research to see the implementation, impact, and outcome of the Indo-US Knowledge Initiative Award for the partnership between OSU and AMU and women involvement in the STEM field.

·

2018: 

• To introduce research experience for undergraduate students, initiation of research projects in STEM disciplines ( the first -of its kind at Aligarh Muslim University) at the APJ Abdul kalam STEM ER Center of OSU-AMU was approved in June 2018. Thirty students were selected to pursue the research projects in diverse STEM disciplines for six months under faculty members of AMU who volunteered their time and provided lab facilities and other experimental requirements. These students submitted their dissertation, gave oral presentations on the original research works carried out by them during this period. These students were felicitated in a function held on September 5, 2019, where Pro-Vice-Chancellor, AMU presided, and the Dean of the Faculty of Science, AMU was the distinguished guests. 
  
  https://www.amu.ac.in/about3.jsp?did=3925
• Recently in 2021, Ms. Saman Jafri supervised by Dr. Sabiha Parveen, Dept of Chemistry, AMU published the results of the research carried under this STEM project in a reputed Peer-reviewed journal of chemistry Polyhedron(Impact factor 3.05) “Elucidating the interaction of enantiomeric Cu(II) complexes with DNA, RNA, and HSA: A comparative study” Sabiha Parveen, Saman Jafri,Huzaifa Yasir Khan,Sartaj Tabassum and Farukh Arjmand.,  210, 1( 2021), 115501.

List of selected students for graduate STEM research project-I (2018-19) under the aegis of APJ Abdul Kalam STEM ER Center is given below : 

Faculty of Science

1.    
Ms. Sughra Shaikh   -Physics- Prof. Tauheed Ahmad 

2. Mr. Zeeshan -Physics -Dr. Wasi Khan
3. Mr. Mohd. Affan Khan- Chemistry- Prof. Sartaj Tabassum
4. Ms. Mariyam Saniya- Chemistry Prof. Syeda Naqvi
5. Ms. Aamrah Rahman- Chemistry Prof.(Mrs.) Farukh Arjmand 
6. Ms. Varuna Bansal -Chemistry -Dr. Esmat Laiq
7. Mr. Asif Afzal -Chemistry -Dr. PalashuddinShaikh
8. Ms. Saman Jafri –Chemistry- Dr. SabihaParveen       
9. Mr. Aadishan Ahmad -Statistics Prof. Qazi Mazhar
10. Mr. Fahad Ashraf -Statistics Dr. Fatima Siddiqui
11. Mr. Syed Amaan Raza Rizvi -Geology -Prof. Erfan Mondal                  
12. Ms. AlifiaIbkar -Geology -Prof. Erfan Mondal      

Faculty of Life Science

1. Ms. Madiha Abbas –Biotechnology- Prof. Rizwan Hasan Khan 
2. Mr. M.Uzair Ashraf- Biochemistry- Prof. Imrana Naseem
3. Ms. MeghnaVarshney –Biochemistry- Dr. Saba Tufail        
4. Mr. Yash Misra- Biochemistry -Dr. Atif Zafar
5. Ms. Ooroba Asim- Biochemistry- Dr Asim Rizvi
6. Ms. Aisha Mehboob- Biochemistry- Prof. M. Tabish 

      7.   Ms. Shumaiza Asif    -   Biochemistry-- Dr. Farh Khan

       8.   Ms. Falah Qasim - Botany - Prof .Ghazala Parveen

1. Ms. SirdaIshrat- Zoology -Dr. G..HammadAhmad Shadab 

10. Ms.Saima Owais- Zoology- Dr. Nazura Usmani
11. Ms. Rameesha Khan- Zoology                                              

         Faculty of Engineering 

1. Ms. Suhani Pandey- Electrical- Dr. M. Saad Alam
2. Ms. RuheenWaqar Khan- Chemical -Dr. Syed Akhlaq Ahmad
3. Ms. Lubna Arif- Civil- Dr. M.Arsalan Khan
4. Ms. MadihaAmeen Khan -Electrical -Dr. Mohd. Sarfaraz
5. Ms. Sufiya Khalid- Electrical -Dr. Mohd. Sarfaraz
6. Mr. Muzafar Farooq- Civil -Dr. Nadeem Khalil
7. Mr. Syed Faizan Husain- Civil- Dr. M.Arsalan Khan

            The APJ STEM Center held two-day Interactive Sessions, Sep 13 - 14, 2018 for

             male&female students to discuss the background of center, educational, and research

             scopes, and applications to US universities.

• International Women’s Day was organized by the APJ Abdul Kalam STEM center for Education and Research. Prof. Qudsia Tahseen, Dept of Zoology, AMU ( who is an eminent scientist awarded membership by three levels of the National Academy of Sciences presided over the function along with Dr. Hameeda Tariq and Prof. Sultana Nahar as the guest of honor.

• Women in STEM Roadshow(WSR)February 5-28, 2018 sponsored by the US Department of State, USA was held where nine workshops were held in different cities of India Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Aligarh, Patna, and Kurnool, under PI, Prof. Sultana N. Nahar to encourage higher education & professional opportunities for girls and women from minorities and disadvantaged groups. The last workshop was held in Women's College, AMU, Aligarh under the aegis of APJ Abdul Kalam STEM ER Center. A team of four led the WSR workshops: Prof. Anil K. Pradhan (atomic astrophysicist and Director of Indo-U.S. STEM Education and Research Center at
  the Ohio State University (OSU)), Karen Irving (Ph.D. in Chemistry and STEM Education at OSU), Dr. Nasreen Haque (a physicist by training and President of Intalage Inc. U.S.A., involving teachers and students in the U.S.A. for STEM Education), and Prof. Sultana Nahar (physicist and founder of STEM education and research programs ) and a dedicated and efficient Indian team of local experts, local contacts, and student volunteers in each location. Each local expert presented STEM contributions by women and the need for more women participating in STEM fields in India. Prof Farukh Arjmand (Co-director) was the Local expert for Aligarh Workshop.
• Dr.Asim Rizvi, OSU fellow of the APJ Abdul Kalam Center STEM ER  conducted a research course titled “Science Education in the Indian Context: A short course” on 10-14^th Dec 2018 for Ph.D. students in the Faculties of Science, Life Science, and Engineering and Technology, and the Department of Education. A total of 25 students were selected out of 45 applications for the course. Ms. Moheeta Khan, research scholar in Physics Education, Dept. of Education, won the Dr. Karen E. Irving Award for the best paper written during the course. The topics covered i) introduction to science education, ii) diversity in the Indian science classroom, iii) academic language and English as a second language in the Indian science classroom, iv) resources and the lack of resources, v) technology and its use in the Indian science classroom. The valedictory function was held on Dec 17^th 2018. Mr. Abdul Hameed, IPS, Registrar of the AMU was the Chief Guest and Prof. Sartaj Tabassum (Chair, Dept. of Chemistry), Prof. Qayyum Hussain (Dean, Faculty of Life Sciences), and Prof. M. M. Sufyan Beg (Principal, ZHCET, AMU) were the guests of honor. 

 2019

• Visit to Indo-US APJAK STEM ER Center of OSU-AMU by Mr. Nirmal Sinha (OSU - Indian community liaison in Columbus), Dr. Nikhil Tambe, Director of OSU India Gateway Office in Mumbai, Mr. Sayatan Chakravarty, Editor of India Empire Magazine based in Delhi.

• A one-day symposium on “International Collaborations and Prospects for STEM Education and Research” was organized at APJ Abdul Kalam Center for STEM Education and Research 
• Prof. Farukh. Arjmand presented the UGC lecture on "Women in STEM subjects", which featured prominent scientists under the National UGS course "Women Studies",
  UGC- HRDC, AMU. 147 participants (Assistant professors) from all over India.
• Participation at USIEF supported "Showcasing U.S.-India knowledge initiative awards at IIT, Shastra", by OSU-AMU Fellow Dr. Asim Rizvi. He delivered a presentation at the IIT, Shastra from January 3 to 6, 2019.

2020:

• AMU Centenary Webinar on “Prospects of STEM education in 21st century and contribution of women Scientists in STEM subjects” was held on 23rd Oct 2020. We were honored to have the best scientists two Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar award winners of 2020, Dr. Bushra Ateeq, IIT, Kanpur (DBT/ Wellcome Trust India Alliance Fellow) & Dr. Jyotirmayee Das, IACS, Kolkata (DST-Swarnajayanti fellow) and Prof.
  S. Mazumdar, TIFR, Mumbai - the pioneers of their respective fields in our esteemed panel. In a two-day Webinar, (09) thought-provoking deliberations from the USA and our country in diverse areas of STEM disciplines covering Astronomy, Chemical Science, Statistics, Medical science, Bioinorganic Chemistry, Management, Biomedical Engineering and
  Electronics Engineering.
• Another symposium entitled "International Collaborations and Prospects for STEM Education and Research” was organized jointly by AMU and the Ohio State University (OSU) was held on March 5, 2020. Invited speakers included the director Prof. Anil Pradhan from OSU, also representing co-director Prof. Sultana Nahar. Prof. Sufyan Beg, Principal, ZHCET Prof. Qayyum Hussain, Dean, Faculty of Life Science, was the guest of honor. It was attended by 120 registered participants and presided over by Prof. Anil K. Pradhan. Several topics were covered highlighting past accomplishments of the OSU-AMU collaboration and prospects for international expansion, including South-East Asian and Mid-East countries, as well as funding opportunities to support such initiatives. The agenda and more details are available on the website 

http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~nahar/indousstemerc.html#foundation

http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~nahar/indousstemerc/symprog-apjakstemerc20.jpg

• There was also an announcement of the second phase of ‘Undergraduate STEM Research Projects-II’ for B.Tech and B.Sc (Hons) students but the projects were postponed due to the covid-19 pandemic.

2021:

•           The center celebrated International Women's Day 2021 jointly with the International Society of Muslim Women in Science (ISMWS) on March 20, 2021. Prof Anil. K Pradhan, Director OSU, and Prof Farukh Arjmand, Co-director, AMU gave the welcome address.  It was supported by the OSU zoom platform. The purpose was to present the cases of eminent women’s scientists i) to speak about their journeys from low-key beginning to competing establishment today and continuing struggle and ii) the take-backs for others.

The invited speakers were Prof. Lotfia El Nadi, Cairo University and NILES Laser Institute, Egypt., Dr. Hameeda Tariq, Pediatrician and owner of Childcare Center, Aligarh, India., Dr. Faiza Abbasi, Wild Life Dept, and Co-Director of CALEM of UGC, AMU, India., Dr.Bushra Ateeq, IIT-Kanpur, India., Prof. Seemin Rubab, NIT-Srinagar, India., Ms.Zamzama Rahmany, Ph.D. Scholar at the University of Kerala, and Afghanistan.,Prof. Samina Masood, University of Houston, USA., Dr. Hala, National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST, USA., Dr. Nasreen Haque, President of Intalage Ind, USA., Prof. Sultana N. Nahar,The Ohio State University and OSU Co-Director of Indo-US APJAK STEM Education and Research Center of OSU-AMU, USA)

•The APJ Abdul Kalam Center for STEM Education and Research was shifted to new building on B-5 Shibli Road allotted by Honourable Vice-chancellor of AMU, Prof Tariq Mansoor which was fully renovated and developed  as a
state- of –art infrastructure facility.

•           Research-based course "Atomic Astrophysics and Spectroscopy with computational workshops on the R-matrix codes" was held by organized under the Indo-US APJAK STEM Education and Research Center of OSU-AMU was held during the 3-weekends of October 16 - 31, 2021 where 101 registered participants, from students to professors, from many universities in 11 countries (India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mexica, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) participated.

News Details :

• AMU news, March 11, 2020: "Symposium on International Collaborations", on the day long scientific symposium at the APJAK STEM Education and Research Center of OSU-AMU, AMU

• OIA News, August 2019: "Ohio State to Host Leadership Workshop for Indian Faculty". It was conducted through Indo-US STEM ER Center of OSU-AMU at OSU

• - OIA newsbrief (page 2): "Ohio State to Host Leadership Workshop for Indian Faculty", August, OSU 2019

• Facebook News on Sep 2, 2019: Aligarh Muslim University News on research project felicitation

• OSU Office of International Affairs - India Gateway news, February 2019: "Sinha Impressed with Indo-U.S. STEM Education and Research Center"

• AMU News Jan 30, 2019, "Indian-American community members visit APJ Abdul Kalam STEM ER Center"

• AMU facebook News: "Indian-American community members visit APJ Abdul Kalam STEM ER Center"

AMU News "APJ Abdul Kalam STEM ERCentre organises interactive session with University graduates", Sep 14,2018

• APS News article "Indo-U.S. STEM Education and Research Center in India", Sultana Nahar, January 2018 (Volume 27, Number 1, p.2 )

• AMU News: " US Embassy official visits APJ Abdul Kalam Center for STEM Education and Research", November 25, 2017

• OSU News: "Indo-U.S. Centre of Excellence in STEM-ER is Established", Office of International Affairs, April 28, 2017

• "AMU establishes Centre of STEM-ER in consonance with Ohio State University", AMU News, April 24, 2017

• AMU establishes Centre of Excellence in STEM-ER, ALIGARH, The Aligarh Muslim University, India, April 15, 2017