Mail News Service
Jamshedpur:The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Jamshedpur inaugurated the 1st Hybrid International Conference on Women in Agriculture, Science, Technology, Education, Engineering and Management (WASTEEM-2025) on November 15, 2025. Organised by the Centre for Innovation & Incubation Council (CIIC), the conference was themed “A Roadmap to Sustainability, Skill Development & Innovation.” Its objective was to highlight, celebrate and strengthen women’s contributions and leadership across diverse sectors.
The inaugural ceremony witnessed the presence of several eminent dignitaries. Prof. Vinita S. Sahay, Director, IIM Bodh Gaya, graced the occasion as Chief Guest. Distinguished guests included Prof. G. Aghila, Director, NIT Tiruchirappalli; Prof. Sudha Goel, IIT Kharagpur and Ms. Manju Kumari, Deputy General Manager, Tata Consulting Engineers. Dr. Suparna Mukhopadhyay, Additional General Manager (Fuel Management), NTPC Ltd., attended as Guest of Honour.
Conference leadership included Chairman Prof. Amaresh Kumar and Prof. M. K. Sinha; Conveners Dr. Madhu Singh and Dr. Rashmi Sinha and Organising Secretaries Dr. Shubhranshu Kumar Tiwary, Dr. Sushil Kumar and Dr. Anushree Datta.
The conference featured globally recognised speakers such as Dr. Keerti S. Kappagantula (PNNL, USA), Prof. Mousumi Roy (NIT Durgapur), Vatsala Upadhyay (AI Junoon, USA), Dr. Swati Dhir (IMI Delhi), Sonia Saldanha (London Business School) and Swagataa Dutta (Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank).
Invited guests from academia and industry including IBM Silicon Valley Lab, Jharkhand Technical University, Inner Wheel Club of Jamshedpur and legal professionals commended NIT Jamshedpur’s initiative to empower women researchers and enhance visibility for women leaders.
Prof. Vinita Sahay emphasised the need for equipping women with future-ready skills to build a sustainable, empowered society. She urged academic institutions to guide younger generations with empathy, especially in today’s challenging socio-emotional climate. Messages of appreciation were also shared by Dr. Katherine Black, University of Hartford and Susan Bysiewicz, Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut, acknowledging WASTEEM-2025 as a landmark initiative for global women leadership.
Prof. G. Aghila highlighted the need to break subtle barriers that restricted women’s participation in technical research, while NIT Jamshedpur Director Prof. Goutam Sutradhar stressed increasing women’s representation in engineering education from the current 20% to at least 35–40% in line with national goals.
WASTEEM-2025 received over 150 high-quality research papers from India and abroad, demonstrating its growing international engagement. Offline technical sessions enabled researchers to present their work and engage with expert reviewers.
Running alongside the conference was ‘SUSTAINOVATE 2025,’ where UG and PG students showcased sustainability-focused innovations through posters and concept displays. Judges from IIT Kharagpur and NTPC Ltd. praised students’ creativity and urged them to refine their ideas further.
The inaugural day concluded with a vibrant cultural programme featuring music, dance and artistic performances by NIT students, celebrating diversity and creativity.
WASTEEM-2025 continues on November 16 with hybrid paper presentations, plenary lectures, expert sessions and student-focused events reinforcing NIT Jamshedpur’s commitment to women-led innovation, inclusive excellence and impactful multidisciplinary research at a global level.
