IIT Guwahati and Kyoto Institute of Technology jointly organise 5th International Symposium on Advances in Sustainable Polymers
Guwahati: Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati in collaboration with Kyoto Institute of Technology is organizing an International Symposium on Advances in Sustainable Polymers (ASP-19) from 14th to 18th October 2019 at Kyoto Institute of Technology, Matsugasaki, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan. ASP-19 is the fifth international symposium of the ASP series following ASP-17 (Guwahati, India), ASP-16 (Kyoto, Japan), ASP-15 (Guwahati, India), and ASP-14 (Guwahati, India).
Sustainable polymers are plastic materials, which have been developed from renewable biomass, and thus cause no harm to the environment, either during production or during disposal. These polymers are environment friendly and can be recycled without causing any adverse effects to the producers, consumers or to our surroundings. Sustainable polymers are derived from biological sources like plants, algae and different waste products, saving the biosphere from further pollution, and help in maintaining the health and economy of the environment.
Talking about the significance of the symposium on Advances in Sustainable Polymers, Prof. Vimal Katiyar, Coordinator, Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Polymers (CoE-SusPol), IIT Guwahati, said, “ASP-19 will provide ample opportunities to discuss about global environmental pollution caused by regular synthetic plastics and pave the path for the effective utilization of sustainable polymers. Eminent scientists working in the field of biodegradable plastics worldwide will deliver their keynote address on the recent advancements in the various fields of biopolymer extraction, bioplastic synthesis, characterization, processing, biodegradable polymer nanocomposites and finally their applications to fabricate useful commodity products. It is noteworthy to mention that various companies practicing biodegradable plastics are also venturing in this edition of ASP.”
The aim of the symposium is to provide a platform for researchers to share recent state-of-the-art advances in the area of sustainable polymers. The symposium will include plenary lectures and invited lectures on recent advances in several aspects of sustainable-polymer-based technologies.
ASP-19 will also host the following three bilateral symposia as part of the symposium:
Industrial Forum – Biobased Materials Developed by World-wide Industries
Second India-Nepal-Japan Trilateral Joint Symposium
IITG-KIT Joint Symposium
Plenary speakers include:
Prof. Gert-Jan Gruter, Avantium CTO/University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Prof. Ramani Narayan, Michigan State University, USA
Prof. Amar Mohanty, University of Guelph, Canada
Prof. Swaminathan Sivaram, Honorary Professor and INSA Senior Scientist IISER, India
Prof. Katja Loos, University of Groningen, Netherlands
The International Advisory Board comprises members including the following:
Prof. Swaminathan Sivaram, Honorary Professor and INSA Senior Scientist IISER, India
Prof. Ramani Narayan, Michigan State University, USA
Prof. Alejandro J. Müller, University of the Basque Country, Spain
Prof. Gert-Jan Gruter, Avantium CTO/University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Prof. Sanjay Rastogi, Professor of Polymer Technology, Loughborough University
Prof. Ashok Misra, Former Director of IIT Bombay
Prof. Yoshiharu Doi, Former Director, Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Japan
Prof. Takashi Kato, The University of Tokyo, Japan
Prof. Akira Isogai, The University of Tokyo, Japan
Prof. Hiroyuki Yano, Kyoto University, Japan
Prof. Takeshi Kikutani, Tokyo Insititute of Technology, Japan
Prof. Katja Loos, University of Groningen, Netherlands
Apart from IIT Guwahati and Kyoto Institute of Technology, the symposium is supported by Kansai Branch, The Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan; Mille-Feuille Structure Materials; Unitika Shusei-kai, The Society of Polymer Science, Japan and Research Committee on Fundamental Fiber Science, The Society of Fiber Science and Technology Japan.
Sustainable polymers are gaining major impetus in the contemporary context of massive environmental pollution caused by polymers derived from unsustainable resources like petroleum or natural gas, which are hard to break down and continue to exist for hundreds of years in the environment. With the current global emphasis on environmental sustainability, there is a keen interest in developing sustainable polymers and related technologies that are eco-friendly and sustainable. In this regard, significant research efforts are being undertaken across the world and sustainable polymer-based research is rapidly emerging as a field with considerable promise and potential, and such a conference comes at an opportune moment for researchers in the field to share ideas and developments.
Role of IIT Guwahati in ASP-19 Conference
The Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Polymers under the aegis of IIT Guwahati first organized the ASP series of conference in 2014 due to their continuous pursuit in the field of sustainable polymers. From then onwards, IIT Guwahati has played a leading role in organizing the symposium in collaboration with various other institutes working in the area of bioplastics across the world. The symposium, which was held in IIT Guwahati twice in the beginning, was organized in Japan in 2016, with increasing attendance of researchers from various Institutes across the globe. The last ASP symposium at IIT Guwahati saw global participation of a large number of polymer-based industries. This year also, IIT Guwahati is co-organizing the prestigious 5th International Symposium on Advances in Sustainable Polymers (ASP-19) in partnership with Kyoto Institute of Technology. CoE-SusPol at IIT Guwahati has emerged as the leader for promoting manufacturing of biodegradable plastic products in the country. Currently, IIT Guwahati is the only institute capable of delivering technologies for manufacturing biodegradable plastic products in true sense. IIT Guwahati acts as an umbrella to bring different scientists, scholars, industrialists and policy-makers practicing in the domain of bioplastics and related products and creates knowledge-sharing society on sustainable polymers. The unceasing quest of IIT Guwahati has resulted in the development of strong collaborations between IIT Guwahati and many institutes of eminence like Kyoto Institute of Technology (Japan), Gifu University (Japan), Michigan State University, USA, University of Guelph, Canada, benefitting researchers all along.
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