Germany & South Asia : Indian professor to teach at Germany's Ruhr University Bochum

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Germany & South Asia: Prof. Murugavel is a molecule designer for interface materials

Indian professor to teach at Germany's Ruhr University Bochum

October 28, 2009

As the first Mercator-Guest Professor at the Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Prof. Dr. Ramaswamy Murugavel, a chemist from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, will strengthen Inorganic Chemistry at the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) during the academic year 2009/2010.

The German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft - DFG) promotes the internationalisation of training and research by awarding the Mercator-Guest Professorship to Prof. Murugavel, who designs and develops molecules for materials chemistry research. Bilingual training and student exchange between Bochum and Bombay will be offered in association with this Professorship.

Molecule designer for interface materials in the IFSC

Professor Murugaval’s group deals with the synthesis chemistry of main group elements. Tailor-made molecules for use in materials chemistry research originate from his “kitchen”. These include soluble silicon/phosphate-compounds used in the production of novel ceramics or functional building blocks for zeolites and other porous materials, which can, due to weaker, non-covalent interactions, organise themselves into complex structures. Thus he will collaborate very closely with partners at the Research Department Interfacial Systems Chemistry (IFSC).

Bilingual training and research within the Bachelor course

“The field of inorganic chemistry acquires a special international and intercultural touch through the participation of Prof. Murugavel” says Prof. Roland Fischer.

Bilingual English/German team teaching and the creative integration of current problems and research results into the lectures and seminars within the Bachelor course are planned. “Is it not motivating to experience closely at a very early stage, how the knowledge gained from lectures and textbooks enables you to understand articles on top level research in scientific journals?”, ponders Fischer.

Furthermore students at Master and Doctorate levels will be given the opportunity to participate in exchange between RUB and IIT Bombay.

Prof. Murugavel, born in 1964 studied Chemistry at the University of Madras and later received his Ph.D at the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore. He was an Alexander von Humboldt research fellow in Prof. Herbert W. Roesky’s group in the Inorganic-Chemistry Institute of Göttingen University from 1994 until 1997. He was appointed Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the IIT Bombay, one of India’s leading research universities, and was promoted to full Professorship in 2005.