This project will provide funding to 10 academic researchers from the USA to participate and present papers at the Joint Symposium on Sustainable Technologies for Energy and Environment in the Indian Chemical Engineering Congress (CHEMCON 2012), and pursue collaborative research opportunities with faculty members in India. The symposium aims to provide a communication and exhibition platform for experts, scholars, and entrepreneur in the energy and environment field. The CHEMCON 2012 conference will include not only renowned experts, scholars, and government officials, but also company executives and professionals of investment institutions in Asia, Europe, and the United States. At this event they will discuss and exchange their ideas on ?hot spots??novel technologies?and commercial development so as to encourage cooperative research on energy technologies between India and other countries, and promote the integration of the Indian energy industry with international enterprises and investment institutions. This conference will also provide new development opportunities for international energy institutions and enterprises. There is an urgent need to develop sustainable technologies for energy and environment in process industries. Four sessions are planned in this joint symposium, and are focused on various aspects of sustainable technologies for energy and environment in the process industry. This symposium will fill a critical need and also bring focus to joint efforts between USA and India. It is expected that this symposium will result in a significant increase in the level of cooperation between researchers in India and the US through joint projects, student and faculty exchange and collaborative funding.
Objectives: Under the auspices of this grant, nine academic researchers from the United States participated and presented papers at the Indian Chemical Engineering Congress (CHEMCON-2012), the 65th Annual Session of the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers that was held in Jalandhar (India) from December 27-30, 2012. All the presentations were in special symposium titled "Sustainable Technologies for Energy and Environment in Process Industries." Intellectual Merit: Collaboration between US and Indian researchers in the area of sustainable technologies was initiated with the expectation that sharing research ideas and perspectives between researchers in these two countries will result in greater joint activities in the future. The purpose of this symposium was to bring together academics prominently involved in sustainable technologies research in USA with colleagues from India. The symposium provided a communication platform not only for renowned experts, scholars and government officials, but also company executives and students interested in this research. The sessions in the special symposium were very well attended and there were several discussions and exchange of ideas on this topic. A special session was arranged where students attendees to the conference could ask questions to the US delegation about research opportunities in this area. Several US experts were contacted after the conference for further interaction. A formal cooperative agreement to exchange faculty and graduate students was signed between the University of South Alabama and the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jalandhar on July 12, 2013 after a visit by the Director of NIT to the South Alabama campus. Broader Impact: There is an urgent need to develop sustainable technologies for energy and environment in process industries. The symposium that resulted from this NSF grant filled a critical need and brought to focus joint efforts between USA and India and has provided the framework for increased cooperation between researchers in India and the US through joint projects, student and faculty exchange and collaborative funding.
