Mangaluru: “Research should be taken as a passion, and as a hobby,” said Dr Harsh Vardhan Batra, Director of Defence Food Research Laboratory, Mysuru. He was speaking at the blessing and inauguration of the Loyola Centre for Research and Innovation (LCRI) of St Aloysius College, Mangaluru held at the campus premises on July 15. LCRI was inaugurated by Fr Dr Stanislaus D’Souza SJ, Provincial, Karnataka Jesuit Province.
Dr Harsh Vardhan Batra appreciated the research infrastructure of the college and said, “Innovation should be a habit. It doesn’t matter whether you have the facilities or not, it’s the mind that plays the role.” He further stressed on embracing values and said that the foundation of research should be made strong by putting values into it. Values help in growth, both in academics and life, he added.
The Chief Guest of the function, Bishop of Shimoga Diocese, Dr Francis Serrao SJ, in his inaugural speech said that we cannot “rest on our laurels and pass in the after cloak of our history”, we need to respond to modern issues. He shared his reflections on research and intellectual quest. He said that the students have to be innovative when faced with the challenges of the world and thus contribute to the development of the sciences. “We need to be open to intellectual reflection. We live in a world where the relationship between faith and culture as well faith and reason is questioned. We need intellectual depth to face this situation and take initiatives that will strengthen these links of our colleges, faculties, cultural centres and periodicals.”
Fr Dr Stanislaus D’Souza advised the students to develop their thirst for knowledge and find ways to quench it.
On this occasion, the college felicitated prominent persons who contributed to the conceptual and the structural development of the new building. Fr Denzil Lobo SJ (Rector of St Aloysius Institutions) and Fr Swebert D’Silva SJ (Principal of St. Aloysius College) were also present on the dais.
About LCRI
The new science building Loyola Centre for Research and Innovation (LCRI), has seven floors all equipped with state of art infrastructure for education through research. The building will house research programmes in Food Science and Technology started recently with a grant of Rs 75 lakhs from MHRD, Govt of India through the Govt of Karnataka as well as Research Laboratories of Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Chemistry and Physics Departments. There are also multiple conference rooms and auditoriums to conduct seminars and other academic programmes.
The newly built research wing was built at a cost of Rs 8 crores, designed to improve the quality of science education though research.