- `My endeavour to make IIIM as institute of excellence’
Ritesh Gupta
JAMMU, Apr 8: Son of the soil, Dr Zubeer Ahmed who recently took over as the Director of Indian Institute of Integrated Medicines (IIIM) -a national Institute of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Ministry of Science and Technology Government of India has set an aim to take legacy of this prestigious institute forward and dedicate his future services to ensure that the institute touches new heights.
In an exclusive interview to Excelsior, Dr Zubeer Ahmed who belongs to Poonch district of J&K paid glowing tribute to vision of Dr R N Chopra who had set up this institute way back in 1941. “I really salute his vision and farsightedness who founded this institute over 80 years back to have research of regional resources under one roof,” he added.
Dr Zubeer said that his predecessors have set a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and he will try his best to discharge this to take their legacy forward and make it an Institute of excellence.
He said the Institute was established to have Research and Development (R&D) of core medicines and it was first named as Regional Research Laboratory (RRL). In 2007 it was rechristened as Indian Institute of Integrated Medicines (IIIM) and its scope in research programmes widened further.
Dr Zubeer said that India is rich in traditional resources of medicines and 30 countries across world have recognised this. The institute is focusing on developing medicines on modern technology, he added.
He also highlighted the research done by the IIIM on Aroma Mission and maintained that industrial research is much important and our foremost endeavour is to up with industry in this regard.
He said IIIM is also knowledge partner with Governments of J&K and Ladakh UTs. “My endeavour is that our research based programmes should have global impact. I want to bring industry in research with innovation. We have already set up biotechnology park,” he added.
Dr Zubeer, who joined the RRL in 1997 and has given the prime of his life to the institute wants to take it to new heights. “The institute has some facilities which are its backbone and I want to revive them further to give boost to industry research, ” he added.
The Director IIIM said that collective efforts will bring total transformation and made it clear that till quality control is not proper no research based institute can go ahead.
Terming the start-ups the vision of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, he said the IIIM is set to rope in local institutions, civil society and scholars. He regretted that they could not be roped in earlier. Efforts will be made to rope in Jammu University, Central University, Cluster University, AIIMS, IIT as well. The Government sometimes has funds constraint and big facilities are not always available to every institute. In this regard my vision is that all institutions should have tie up with IIIM.
He said the researchers should not go outside when they have facilities in their own State. The need of the hour is that the researchers should share their ideas on a single platform so that we bring revolution in research based programmes.
Dr Zubeer said that in J&K and Ladakh there are ideas, technology as well as natural resources only Government support is needed to explore them. “We have brain as well as natural resources available in J&K and Ladakh,. But we as a Government organisation have funding issue”, he added.
He said in IIIM Jammu good research programmes have been conducted on medicines for cancer, diabetes, Thalassemia etc. The Drug to control TB which is available in market is the contribution of IIIM Jammu, he added.
He said the IIIM has signed MOUs with various local institutions and with whom there are no MOUs we are going to sign up with them too to have a common goal and run common research programme with them.
He said the research programmes will be taken further during his tenure and Ayurvedic knowledge will be validated and taken further with focus on society oriented research programmes.
He said there is lot of scope for industry in research oriented programmes and product development by farmers which can increase their income many fold.
He said the collaboration with industry in research programmes should be made from beginning for better results.
Dr Zubeer said that Institute will do research in job oriented programmes under skill development and associate youth with them so that those participating in such research based programmes should become job providers and not job seekers.
He also made an appeal to students from far off colleges to visit IIIM and explore it.
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