Prof Kamal Kishore Pant, former dean faculty and professor for the department of chemical engineering at IIT Delhi has been appointed as the director of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee. Prof K K Pant received his PhD in chemical engineering degree from the IIT Kanpur in 1997. He is a Fellow of the scientific academies INAE and NASI. He is also a leading expert on cutting-edge and futuristic technologies and has now succeeded the outgoing director of IIT Roorkee, Prof A K Chaturvedi.

Sharing his thoughts, Prof K K Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, said, “IIT Roorkee had celebrated its i in October 1996 and now completed more than 175 years of its existence. And aligning with the institute’s vision, like all my contemporaries, we will work towards scaling greater heights to create a sustainable and equitable society through teaching of cutting-edge academic content using state-of-the-art methodologies and innovative research in science and technology."

“The institute is looking to oversee the functioning and well-being of all the faculty, staff, and students to facilitate overall professional development. Our mission statement is clearly to promote IIT Roorkee as a significant hub for training a broader spectrum of international scholars to forge global alliances addressing cutting-edge research and innovation”, added Prof Pant.

According to the institute, Prof Pant is working on multiple national and international import technologies. Among them are the work on coal to methanol conversion, e-waste and plastic management, hydrogen generation, CO2 capture and conversion, biomass valorisation, etc, using catalysis and reaction engineering. With premier companies and government agencies, he has successfully completed more than 50 high-impact projects. He is also a Fellow of several national and international academies, which include the National Academy of Science India (NASI) and the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE).

Prof ML Sharma, dean of finance and planning, IIT Roorkee said, “He is recognized for his expertise in futuristic research and for his outstanding position in the scientific community. And as various departments of the IIT Roorkee also regularly undertake R&D utilizing the elaborate and high-tech laboratory facilities, Prof KK Pant’s appointment shall foster the growth of intellectually capable, innovative, and entrepreneurial professionals. Hearty congratulations and best wishes to Prof KK Pant."