The Academics and Career Council (PG), in collaboration with the Office of the Dean of Academic Affairs (DOAA), IIT Kanpur, successfully organized a two-day workshop titled “How to Improve Your Research Skills” on June 20–21, 2025, at Lecture Hall 16, IIT Kanpur.

This highly impactful workshop was conducted by Prof. Narasimhan Sundararajan (Retd.), NTU Singapore, an internationally renowned academician with an illustrious career spanning research and leadership roles at ISRO, NASA-Ames, and NASA Langley. With over 250 research publications, five books, and deep expertise in aerospace control, neural networks, machine learning, and research mentoring, Prof. Sundararajan brought extraordinary depth and clarity to the sessions.

The workshop began with an inaugural ceremony graced by Prof. Abhijeet Mohapatra (Associate Dean of Academic Affairs) and Prof. Ark Verma (Faculty Advisor, Academics and Career Council), setting the tone for two days of rich academic engagement.
Over the course of five focused sessions totaling 9 hours, Prof. Sundararajan engaged more than 200 postgraduate students from diverse departments, offering them essential tools and strategies to strengthen their research journey.

Key topics covered included:

• Research Preparation and Planning
• Conducting an Effective Literature Review
• Writing a Research Paper/Thesis and Delivering Oral Presentations
• Handling Peer Reviews Constructively
• Understanding Research Ethics and Long-Term Academic Planning

The sessions sparked lively interaction and were marked by Prof. Sundararajan’s passion for mentoring young researchers and his ability to demystify complex aspects of the academic process.

The workshop owes its success to the meticulous coordination and commitment of several key individuals and teams. Special thanks go to Prof. Abhijeet Mohapatra, Shreyank Goel (Academic Senate Nominee), Yogesh RG Singh (Former General Secretary, PG AnC), and Aman Shukla (General Secretary, PG AnC) for their instrumental roles in organizing the event.

The Academics and Career Council (PG) team worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure smooth execution, while the enthusiastic participation of IITK students made this event a true celebration of learning and growth.

We express our heartfelt gratitude to Prof. N. Sundararajan for his invaluable contribution and for inspiring the IIT Kanpur research community with his wisdom, humility, and passion.