Birkbeck scientist honoured by West Bengal State University, India
Dr Sanjib Bhakta has been awarded the inaugural Rishi Bankim Chandra Memorial Award, in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of global infectious diseases research.
Dr Sanjib Bhakta from Birkbeck’s Department of Biological Sciences has been awarded the first Rishi Bankim Chandra Memorial Award by Rishi Bankim Chandra College, West Bengal State University (formerly an affiliated College of the University of Calcutta).
This comes in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of global infectious diseases research and tackling antimicrobial resistance in tuberculosis (TB), such as his ongoing research into the antibiotic properties of various types of onion.
The award is named after Rishi Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894), who was the first Bengali Deputy Magistrate in British-India, a writer, poet, journalist and the composer of ‘Bande-Mataram’, the national song of independent India. Rishi Bankim Chandra College, one of the largest multi-faculty colleges in South-East Asia, says it has upheld the mantra of ‘Bande-Mataram’ of honouring and adoring the motherland by disseminating high-quality education since its foundation in 1947, the year of Indian independence.
Dr Bhakta said: “It is a great honour to accept this award. I feel very special when it comes from the higher education institution where I studied my undergraduate degree and received the early stimulation of experimental research from a group of inspirational professors and mentors.”
Dr Bhakta will accept the award formally at West Bengal State University on 9 July 2018, where he will give a public lecture on his work to students, staff and members of the public. He will also run a 'Careers in Science' workshop to mentor a selected group of undergraduate and postgraduate research students and discuss various international scholarship opportunities to study in the UK.