The Indo-Korea Science and Technology Centre on the IISc campus was inaugurated by former President APJ Abdul Kalam in Bangalore on Wednesday.
Kalam’s presence at the inaugural was not coincidental. It was Kalam who, during his visit to South Korea as President in 2007, had first mooted the idea of creating a “world knowledge platform” for fostering partnership between the two countries in scientific research.
Kalam expressed happiness that his vision had been translated into reality. “Yesterday, South Korea President Lee Myung-Bak called me and extended full support from his government for the project,” Kalam said.
According to a MoU between the two countries, specific research projects in transportation, robotics and engineering sciences, nutrition and food security, renewable energy, chemical engineering, health and medical equipment, material science and information technology will be taken up at the centre.
Civilisation 2050
Going a step further, Kalam said the two Asian giants should work together for a prosperous and peaceful globe by 2050.
Digressing from his now famous 2020 vision, Kalam looked thirty years further ahead. He said by 2050 every citizen should have access to adequate quantity and quality water for consumption, sanitation and irrigation. “Health care will witness an emphasis on preventive healthcare and tailored medical treatment for each individual leading to a disease-free society with increased longevity,” he said.
Kalam also said global green house gas equilibrium would have been achieved and the risk of climate change eliminated. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) would have enabled every conceivable field of human endeavour possible and the man would have colonised moon and mars. South Korea Education, Science and Technology Minister Ahn Byung said the centre would also provide a platform for exchange of scientists, and engineering and technology transfer between the two countries.
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