RONO HILLS, SEP 22:

The Department of Zoology, Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU), organised a one-day international seminar on “Alternative Career Options in Life Sciences” on September 18, bringing together 170 registered participants from undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes in Zoology, Botany and Chemistry, besides participants from other institutions.

The seminar aimed to broaden students’ understanding of career opportunities beyond conventional teaching, academics and research, with sessions covering conservation biology, industrial entomology, pharmaceutical research and development, doctoral studies abroad and career opportunities in private universities.

RGU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Shivaraj was the chief patron, while Registrar Dr N.T. Rikam was the patron. Prof. D.N. Das, Head of the Department of Zoology, chaired the programme and emphasised the need to familiarise science students with diverse career pathways at an early stage. Programme coordinator Prof. Daniel Mize set the tone for the interactive sessions.

Dr Arnab Ghosh of the Department of Zoology, who served as organising secretary and convenor, moderated the four technical sessions. He said the seminar was conceived in line with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, with emphasis on skill-based education and preparing students for emerging opportunities in the job market. He also highlighted the importance of internships, soft skills and personality development in professional growth.

The first technical session featured Dr Manas Sarkar of Vestacy Global Entomology and Director, Vestacy India, who spoke on “Career Opportunities in Entomology R&D”, followed by Dr Sandipto Sarkar of Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, who discussed “Steps to Pursue a PhD in the USA”.

Dr Bibhab Kr. Talukdar, Executive Director of Aranyak, addressed the second session on “Career Opportunities in Conservation Biology”, drawing on his extensive experience in wildlife conservation. The third session featured Pritam Banerjee, Manager, Formulation R&D, UniChem Laboratories Ltd, Goa, who spoke on “Pharma R&D Opportunities after BSc”, and Dr Banashree Bandopadhyay of the Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, who discussed “Career Options in Private Universities in India”.

Dr Dipanjan Chatterjee, Senior Scientist, R&D, Sun Pharma Ltd, Gujarat, spoke on “Pharma R&D Opportunities after PhD”, while Dr Arnab Ghosh conducted a session on “How to Write a CV for Academia, Industry, and Beyond”. Each technical session was followed by an interactive question-and-answer session, allowing students to seek practical guidance from the resource persons.

The seminar provided students with practical insights into career pathways in wildlife conservation, industrial entomology, pharmaceutical R&D, doctoral studies abroad and private university academia. Discussions also addressed entry requirements, skills, remuneration and work-life balance in different professional fields.

The organisers said the strong participation and sustained interaction throughout the sessions reflected students’ growing interest in exploring diverse career trajectories in the life sciences.