United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals : SDG Conference 2024 – Golden Jubilee Year University of Hyderabad
This February 2024, the University of Hyderabad (UoH) hosted an International Conference on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of its Golden Jubilee Celebrations, organized by the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC). The conference featured talks by renowned speakers from various disciplines, including Drs. Shekar C. Mande, Rajendra Singh, G.D. Yadav, Sreeram RamaKrisna, Rao V. L. Papineni, Supriya Sahu, Helena Freitas, Anjan Ray, TV Gopal, and Maria Rollo. Senior organizers Drs. Kondapi, Geeta Vemuganti, Siddarthan, and Susarla brought these exemplary speakers together. The event began with a Presidential address by Prof. B.J. Rao, Vice-Chancellor of UoH, followed by a video message from Mr. Shombi Sharp, Resident United Nations Commissioner. The conference focused on the 17 SDGs, adopted by the UN in 2015, which aim to end poverty, improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth while tackling climate change and preserving the planet. This event showcased the power of collaboration towards achieving these goals by 2030.
- 1-6. Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms. Goal 2: Zero Hunger. Goal 3: Health. Goal 4: Education. …
- 7-12. Goal 7: Energy. Goal 8: Economic Growth. Goal 9: Infrastructure, industrialization. Goal 10: Inequality. …
- 13-17. Goal 13: Climate Action. Goal 14: Oceans. Goal 15: Biodiversity, forests, desertification.
Some interesting talks to the general public on the sustainable front include Supriya Sahu IAS, Additional chief Secretary to Tamilnadu Government. She spoke of the setting up of the Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company (TNGCC), to drive action as a focal body with three missions – TN Climate Change Mission, TN Green Mission and TN Wetlands Mission. “Under the Climate Change Mission, the state had selected Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Rameshwaram and Rajapalayam to become carbon-neutral towns. Later on the revival of the humble manjapai (yellow bag) as the traditional alternative to single-use plastic. She initiated the Meendum Manjapai campaign last year when the department installed manjapai vending machines from Koyambedu wholesale market in Chennai. It has now gained popularity across many states in the country as the Thaila ATM or cloth bag ATM. On the climate action front, Sahu discussed about effective management of emissions with industries, waste-to-energy interventions, enhancing the green cover, and more,”.
Dr. Rajendra Singh also known as “Waterman of India” spoke at the conference. He is an Indian water conservationist and environmentalist. He described how unregulated exploitation of groundwater for agriculture and contamination of water sources by industrial and non-industrial waste dumping are threatening waterbodies across the country and are impacting the lives of communities depending on them. He described how after some research about johads which are concave structures that collect and store water throughout the year, with the local help of some villagers managed to revived some 3000 johads spread across more than 650 villages in Alwar district.
On one of the evenings, Kathak performance by Ms Mangala Bhatt and Troupe was performed with SDG theme as the dance format. It was greatly appreciated by the national and international participants.
Dr. Rao Papineni who was a Plenary speaker at the SDG Conference spoke not only about the advances in the Cancer Treatment, but also about the strategies made by Papineni LABS through the Cancer AIG in efforts for an expedited program in reducing inequality in cancer treatment globally.
Dr. Rao V. L. Papineni is a distinguished scientist-entrepreneur and an Adjunct Faculty Member at the University of Kansas Medical Center, USA. He holds a doctoral degree in Biochemistry from the University of Hong Kong, under British Territorial jurisdiction. Dr. Papineni pursued his early education at the University of Madras, where he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s Degrees. During his tenure at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Papineni made pioneering contributions to the field of Ion Channel structural studies, laying the foundation for groundbreaking research in molecular biophysics. Later in his career, he made seminal contributions to Molecular Imaging and Cancer Nanotechnology, exemplifying his versatility in diverse scientific domains. Dr. Papineni’s innovative spirit has led to several notable inventions and has positioned him as a prominent figure in the international scientific community. He has chaired scientific sessions in esteemed International Biomedical Meetings and serves as a valuable NIH Grant Reviewer. Additionally, Dr. Papineni holds positions on the editorial boards of reputable journals such as Nanotech and Experimental Pharmacology, contributing significantly to the advancement of scientific knowledge. As a visionary scientist, Dr. Papineni has spearheaded advanced research programs focusing on the study of Inflammation and Oncology, employing cutting-edge molecular imaging and nanotechnology-based tools. His laboratory has been instrumental in the development and application of novel technologies in Drug Discovery, particularly in the areas of infection, cancer, and radiation medicine. Notably, Dr. Papineni played a critical role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, making invaluable contributions to the development of treatments and solutions.
Gallery: Graciously provided by Dr. Papineni
