New Delhi, March 30, 2021: Plaksha, an upcoming technology university founded by 60+ leading technology entrepreneurs, business leaders and corporates, has announced the appointment of Prof. Rudra Pratap as its Vice Chancellor. Prof. Pratap is the former Deputy Director of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Founding Chairperson of the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) and is currently a Professor in the Centre as well as of Mechanical Engineering at IISc, Bangalore. Prof. Pratap will assume his new role on May 1, 2021 and lead the creation of a university of global eminence that is focused on reimagining technology education and research for the future.

A pioneer in the field of Micro and Nano-Electro-Mechanical Systems, Prof. Rudra Pratap has been associated with the Indian Institute of Science ((IISc), Bangalore for almost 25 years (1996- 2021) and is credited for establishing the globally recognized Centre for Nano Science and Engineering at IISc. Prof. Pratap was also an invited professor at EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland in 2004-05. Prior to joining IISc in 1996, he taught at the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, for 2.5 years. Prof. Pratap’s research areas include microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), sensor technology, computational mechanics, and mechanobiology. He headed India's first research lab in the field of microelectromechanical systems, the CranesSci MEMS Lab, at the IISc, Bangalore. He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering, US and National Academy of Science.

An avid writer, Prof. Pratap’s book on MATLAB ‘Getting Started with MATLAB: A Quick Introduction for Scientists and Engineers’ is popular among engineering students around the globe. He is also an Associate Editor of the IEEE Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems and a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering. He has published approximately 250 papers in peer reviewed journals and conference proceedings. He is also an author on 17 patents. Prof. Pratap holds a B.Tech (Hons) degree from IIT Kharagpur, M.S from University of Arizona and Ph.D. from Cornell University.

On his appointment as Vice-Chancellor of Plaksha, Prof. Rudra Pratap said, “It is an exciting opportunity to build a greenfield university from the ground up, which has been founded by a global community of entrepreneurs, business leaders and academicians, to reimagine technology education and research in India. The collective vision is to build a mindset for research and technology to solve real life challenges, as we equip students with the right skills, knowledge and practical experience. With global academicians and industry experts on board, we are confident that we will be able to redefine the higher education ecosystem in India.”