CACTUS participated in the 5th National Postdoc Symposium (NPDS) 2022 at IISER Trivandrum on July 20-22, 2022. Smita Jain, Dina Mukherjee, Yuvraj Rathore, and Shivanee Shah had the opportunity to interact with the Indian research community and learn about their interest in what CACTUS has to offer. Dina Mukherjee introduced the brand CACTUS and its offerings to the research community. Smita Jain participated in a panel discussion titled “Art of Mentoring” and shared her views on the role played by mentors in shaping career (and life) paths. Shivanee Shah conducted a workshop titled “Getting Yourself Noticed” which covered very important aspects like CV/resume, elevator pitch, oral communication, and social media presence. This was attended by around 50 symposium participants.
It was very special moment for Smita Jain not just for professional reasons but personal as well. She shared the stage with Prof. S.C. Lakhotia. She said, “Nothing in life can be more rewarding and satisfying than getting the opportunity to share the stage for a panel discussion on ‘Art of mentorship’ at the symposium with an accomplished scientist and a great human being who not just happens to be my role model, mentor, and friend but also my father. He is someone who has been instrumental in shaping me and my life immensely. A person with immense energy, passion and enthusiasm towards his research work and teaching, Prof. Lakhotia has also been instrumental in shaping careers of many other researchers and students and is a mentor to many. Sharing the space with him for the panel discussion gave me a sense to achievement, contentment and immense happiness, that words cannot express or convey.”
The National Post Doc Symposium (NPDS) is an endeavour to bring together postdocs and PhD scholars pursuing research in the field of Life Sciences in India. This symposium aims to:
- Introduce diverse career avenues and facilitate professional growth.
- Provide opportunity to network and engage with leaders from multiple sectors of the society.
- Serve as a platform to amplify the voice of young research scholars in India and strategize action plans for their betterment.
As part of the event, the participants get to showcase their research work through posters and oral presentations. The event also features panel discussions, mentor-mentee interaction and skill-development workshops. (https://www.npdsindia.com/about-1)