Sitikantha Das

Sitikantha Das, a PhD student at the Department of Physics, Cavendish Laboratory visited India from December 2010 till January 2011 to attend the ICTS Condensed Matter Programme 2010 organised jointly by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR Mumbai) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISC Bangalore) at the Infosys campus in Mysore. His trip was supported by the Cambridge India Partnership Fund (CIPF). Sitikantha Das also visited TIFR Mumbai where he had some interesting discussions about possible collaborations. Sitikantha Das said that his scholarship helped in making new bridges with premier research institutions in India and also gave him an opportunity to travel around to experience the wonderful cultural mix of India.

David Osborne

Over a period of eight weeks this summer I worked at the AstraZeneca site in Bangalore. This is a dedicated research centre for the development of drugs for the treatment of Tuberculosis: a disease which affects roughly 2 million people each year in India. During my time I was interested in expanding a series of biologically relevant compounds, which we had previously identified in our lab in Cambridge. The aim of the project was to obtain bactericidal and assay data on compounds synthesised, and then use this data in future inhibitor design. Working at AstraZeneca was an enjoyable experience made even more so by the staff and facilities made available to me. The site is representative of any modern pharmaceutical company across the world. This enabled to me to plan and execute chemistry to a high standard with ease and contributed to a positive outcome for myself and the other chemists I worked with.

Sourindra Banerjee

Sourindra is pursuing a PhD in Marketing at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, and is a member of the Centre for India and Global Business. His research focuses on the international expansion of Indian companies. Specifically his study tracks the globalization of 500 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange since the liberalization of the Indian economy. His findings demonstrate that although the international expansion of Indian companies seems to have happened at an unprecedented speed, it actually took place in only those companies that had prepared for rapid expansion over a period of years. Prior to starting his PhD, Sourindra had completed an MSc in International Marketing Management from Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds. Sourindra also holds an MBA from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar and a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. Sourindra says: "I believe my research will facilitate the integration of Indian companies into the global economy".

Jajini Varghese

Jajini Varghese is studying for a PhD on breast cancer at the University of Cambridge. She qualified as a doctor in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, winning a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship to take the MPhil in genetic epidemiology at Cambridge. This was funded by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission and the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust with partial support from the Hinduja Commonwealth Trust. She has secured a Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Trust Scholarship from the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust and an Overseas Research Scholarship (ORS) to continue her work under cancer scientists Professors Doug Easton and Bruce Ponder. Dr Varghese plans to return to India to pursue a dual career in clinical practice and academic research. Jajini says: "Being part of an international group at Cambridge, I am benefiting from an ideal atmosphere for the most creative years of my life. A Cambridge education is an excellent ticket to a diverse career."

Sushil Saigal

Sushil Saigal is studying for a PhD in political ecology at Cambridge. His MPhil year was funded by a Shell Centenary Scholarship, offered in collaboration with the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust. He won a Gates Cambridge Scholarship and an Overseas Research Scholarship to enable him to take a PhD under Dr Bhaskar Vira. Before coming to Cambridge, Sushil studied forestry at the Indian Institute of Forestry Management, Bhopal, and the University of Oxford. For his PhD he is studying forestry cooperatives in India to identify ways of meeting environment and development goals through community-based resource management. On completing his PhD, he plans to return to India and work in development and environment. He says: "I hope to use my training to address the pressing challenges facing my country."