Conferences provide a platform of networking prospects and
research awareness. They play an important role in academia, but students of Maulana
Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal, are finding it a
struggle to acquire funds for international conferences. Funding for all
educational institutes depends on corporate consultancy projects and fees/grant
revenues. But how the funds are distributed depends on the institution’s
authorities.

Dean of Industrial Consultancy & Sponsored Research at
IIT Madras, Dr Krishnan Balasubramanian, said, “IITM offers compensation for
one national and two international conferences to our Masters and Ph. D. students.
Support for one national and international conference is entitled to them.
Support for the second international conference is dependent on their
performance.”

He also emphasised on
the importance of an international conference, “A student should get maximum
exposure, which is extremely critical to a development field.” Today, there are
a number of bilateral student exchange programmes. But a student’s desire to
attend an international conference cannot be swapped with any international
bilateral programme. The former provides more opportunities, and a place where
research problems can be shared, whereas the latter is more beneficial while
doing experiments, meeting people and working in labs with global equipment standards,
Dr. Balasubramanian explained.

Prof Gopal Krishna Panda from the Dept. of Mathematics
Engineering at NIT Rourkela mentioned, “Here, even B. Tech. students with a
promising research paper are sent for international conferences. The institute
compensates either 1 lakh Rupees or 50% whichever is less.”

However, the situation is different at MANIT. The Student Welfare
Dean, Prof Yogendra Kumar at MANIT said, “MANIT provides compensation to guides/mentors
for international conferences but not to students. We support students for national
conferences only. And if students want to participate in an international conference,
they will have to arrange their own funds.” MANIT’s policies do not mandate that
students’ international trips will be funded.

During final evaluation of a Ph. D. scholar at the NITs and
IITs, attending conferences doesn’t carry any weightage. Recently, two Ph. D.
scholars at MANIT faced issues in managing funds for attending some international
conferences. On the condition of anonymity, one scholar expressed, “I am
participating in an international conference just to fill the ‘International
Experience’ on my resume. I don’t think I will participate in any other
international conference after this.”

Both the scholars shared that it will affect their pockets
for a few months, but since they needed participation certificates from an
international conference, they are going. MANIT has also increased its annual
fees for students. For some students, managing the academic fees gets
difficult, let alone paying for an international trip. Both scholars decided to
compromise with the quality of the conference and chose a South-East Asian
country rather than going to the European Union or USA. The other scholar said,
“My friend and I requested the director for support. Given the circumstances,
the institute funded us towards the conference’s entry fees. We still need monetary
help. So, we have put in a request at state funding institutions for assistance.”