Vision
ICTS is a multi- and inter-disciplinary effort with a mandate to take new initiatives on the frontiers of science, and catalyze and promote collaboration in research. It is also involved in high level education and training and in reaching out to the larger society by serving as a node for scientific information and values. Research
ICTS contributes to research excellence in science in various ways. It provides a platform along with the resources for researchers to congregate during high quality programmes of varying durations with embedded conferences. In this way it strives to incubate new and emerging areas of research. Cross-disciplinary immersions are encouraged at ICTS keeping in mind that strength in traditional disciplines lends to fruitful cross-disciplinary interactions. ICTS is a 'science theory centre’ and hence by its very definition it includes involvement of experimentalists in its activities. Currently, ICTS faculty is engaged in research, in areas that include statistical physics, complex systems, cross-disciplinary biology, gravity waves and numerical relativity, and in the areas of string theory, particle physics and cosmology. Post-doctoral fellows, visiting scientists and adjunct faculty augment research at ICTS. They also complement research in areas that are not currently pursued by ICTS faculty. students’ programme is set to take-off from the academic year 2013. ICTS students will be awarded doctoral degrees from TIFR, a deemed university. They will credit courses at the Indian Institute of Science, National Centre for Biological Sciences and other institutions in Bangalore depending on their requirements. Education & Training
Beside its Ph.D. Programme, the Centre contributes to the education and training of students and researchers by organizing interactive meetings of students (and their professors) with visiting scientists and scholars. In order to enable young participants to make the best use of the programmes, schools or instructional workshops precede some of the research level activities of the Centre. Students at the right stage of their career and young researchers are encouraged to spend some time at the Centre to benefit from its ongoing activities and in the presence of leading researchers from all over the world. Outreach
There is an acute need in India today to create its future scientific human resource. The two key ingredients in bringing this about are awareness among students of the fascinating questions science asks and tries to find answers to, and active engagement and support for its activities from society. Public lectures by eminent scientists contribute to this process by acting as sources of inspiration and by fostering an active interest in basic sciences in society. Another aspect that contributes to ICTS outreach is to make freely available the proceedings of its activities in various formats. To facilitate this, the Centre maintains a Service Infomatique. Access to video recordings of lectures and other audio- visual material is made available on the ICTS web site and on DVDs and CDs.
