Prof. Dr. P.C.S Devara is the Director (ACOAST) at Amity University. He has done Ph.D. in Physics, First Thesis in East Asia from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India in 1980. He has worked in various capacities at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India, between December 1980 and February 2014. At present, he has been working as a Director & Professor of Amity School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (ASEES), Head, Amity Centre for Ocean-Atmospheric Science and Technology (ACOAST) and Amity Centre for Environmental Science and Health (ACESH), University of Haryana, Panchgaon (Manesar), Gurugram, India. He has received various awards including Young Scientist Award from Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences, Hyderabad, J. Das Gupta Award from the Indian Meteorological Society, Bharat Jyoti, Best Citizens of India, Golden Jubilee Award and 6th, 7th and 25th Silver Jubilee Awards from Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune; Eminent Scientist Award – 2020, Lifetime Achievement Award- 2020; Best Research Award – 2020; Asia’s Top-50 Scientist Award – 2021 and International Achievement Award (R&D) - 2022 for original research contributions in the field of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. He has published over 601 research papers (285 in peer-reviewed reputed National and International Journals and about 316in Proceedings of Conferences, Symposia, Book Chapters, and Scientific Reports etc.) 

Amity University, Gurgaon

Being the Director of the ACOAST department, how do you ensure students have holistic exposure not just academics?

Our students, at UG, PG and Ph.D. levels, are being taught multi-disciplinary subjects such as Atmosphere, Oceans, Air Quality, Health, and Climate Change, not only the theory but also providing practical training in the state-of-the-art laboratories. Now these courses have been aligned with the guidelines provided in the NEP 2020. Thus, the students are now getting groomed with latest developments/ advancements taken place in the above path-breaking subject areas but also getting good exposure and leadership qualities in organizing/ participating good webinars, publishing innovative research papers with novel themes in the world-renowned Journals, filing patents, and capacity development programs on higher education systems including foreign languages, behavioral and communication skills.

How do you try to bring in a practical approach towards subjects and how students get practical experience from studying the subject?

In our Institution, the modules for each course at the Graduate and Post-Graduate stages are framed in such a way that almost all theory classes are linked-up with a practical/case study so that students can understand the subject easily with more clarity. One of the methods to create practical approaches in students is to make the method of teaching simpler so that students of all levels of intellectual capacity can grasp the subject via effective Mentor-Mentee discussions. Thus, this method invigorates practical approach towards the subject. Moreover, the high-tech experimental facilities and academic/ research collaborations with world-renowned scientists and prestigious International Organizations such as NASA, GSFC, USA, and Echo Tech Pty., Melbourne, Australia, and National Organizations such as IITM, Pune and IIT-Delhi.

What are the best practices offered by the department to the students which help them gain necessary skills?

The best practices being offered by the Department to the students to enhance their aptitude and/ or attitude towards higher education in two broad ways including besides conducting the classes regularly, arranging expert lectures on the topic from other famous educational institutes, arranging laboratory visits, hands-on training with low-cost basic instruments for internship/ dissertation projects. These activities, in a way, enrich the students’ intellectual mindset and provide a good exposure.

How do you help your student to cope up with the competition being so high in the outside world?

To withstand and compete against the competition, the syllabi are modified from time-to-time and the courses are tuned as per the priority in the subject area and job demand at global-level. In our university, we have a good mechanism of Mentor-Mentee relationship. Under this provision/facility, students have freedom to approach any faculty mentor at any time to clarify their doubts in their respective field.

What do you see as the department’s/ college’s greatest strengths and how it helps students to excel?

Our department has been running the courses which are of high priority in both Education and Research. With a team of highly qualified and experienced teachers, the course curriculum is being organized. ACOAST/ACESH/ACAPC is one of the best Institutions in the AUH and one of the best Centers of Excellence in the Amity Universe for research work in the multi-disciplinary areas of Atmosphere, Oceans, Climate, Air Quality, Human Health Exposure and Environmental Impacts. The cutting-edge technology and education/research innovation-backed Laboratories, namely, Air Quality Monitoring and diagnosis System (AQMS), NASA-Aeronet Sun-Sky-Moon Dual-Pol Multi-band Radiometer, Wavelength-Integrating Polar Nephelometer, Next-Generation Aethalometer and NASA’s MAIA-AMOD system for Satellite Remote Sensing of Earth’s Climate and Human health studies to assist the students to carry out high-quality research in the forefront areas listed above.

Can you share some success stories of your students/Alumni?

One of our M.Tech. (Atmospheric Technology and Climate Management) student (Ms. Priyanka Bhoyar) of 2019-2021 batch secured a very high CGPA of 9.92 from AUH. With all the training and background from the Amity Centre of Excellence in Ocean-Atmospheric Science and Technology & Environmental Science and Health (ACOAST/ACESH) is now serving with a well-known company in India which is having research collaboration with UK in the field of Air Quality Forecasting, Mitigation and Sustainability. Another student, namely, Mr. Munshi Pavel, a brilliant UG student is now working with a Taiwan Research Laboratories working on Atmospheric Aerosol Research. The global-level high impact factor, Scopus research publications of the above students, under the guidance of the faculty of our department, are the best examples of the importance and recognition of the courses being conducted and training being imparted to the students.

What valuable advice would you like to the students for them to have a prosperous career ahead?

The academic and research curriculum, and the best practice methods implemented by the Department in the fore-front areas of Environment-Atmosphere-Ocean Coupling, Ground-based and Satellite Remote Sensing, Global Warming and Climate Change, Air Quality, Indian Monsoon and Human Health, help and guide the students in their present and future career.