Prof. Predeep Padmanabhan

With a  long  career in the academia spanning  more than four decades, Prof. P.Predeep joined the MG University  as its first Professor of  Eminence, on his superannuation from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Calicut. During his tenure at the NITC he founded the independent department of Physics and established  exclusive study programmes in physics including a four year BTech programme in Engineering Physics, and a  Masters Programme in Photonics. He also established a research group in the area of Organic and Polymer Electronics with a well-equipped laboratory for Molecular Electronics and photonics.

Prof.Predeep’s research interests include developing cost effective and Green Semiconductors  for Polymer and flexible  electronic devices, particularly Polymer and Organic  Solar Cells, Polymer memories and Transistors. Perovskite hybrid material are also high in the agenda of his research group.

He had  successfully brought to light many unconventional properties of Natural Rubber, one of the largest produce of our country. A number of hitherto unknown applications of modified rubber  in organic electronics – polymer memories, OFET, and OPV were  revealed, and fetched six patents to his credit in these topics.   The industrial potential of these explorations   could be seen from the republication of his works based on natural rubber by a number of  international industry house journals. During these years External funding to the tune of more than Rs.150 Millionwere also undertaken.

Prof. Predeep published more than   230 journal and conference papers, six patents and  eight books besides advising 31 PhD theses. He had supervised many research internships offered  by the Centre for Science and Technology of Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre), FICCI etc. Besides, he had undertaken a number foreign assignments including  a Visiting Professor assignment at the University of Nantes, France.

There are a   number of award and scholarships to his credit which includes:

• French Government’s Regional Chair of  Senior Foreign Researcher of Region, Pays de la Loire, France (2013)
• Spanish PIEN international Fellowship (2014)
• UGC Research Award in 2006;
• Best College Teacher Award in 2005; and 
• Three INSA Fellowships 

He was a member of the round table formulating recommendations for the first high-level Indo-French Knowledge Summit on higher education and research, on the occasion of the visit to India by the  French President.  on renewable energies, energy storage, smart grids and infrastructure for electric vehicles. He also served as  a member of the Indian delegation for Indo-Tunisia Scientific Cooperation nominated by the President of India by DST India. In these years, he had  visited and lectured on invitation to various countries including:

• Michigan University, USA;
• Tver University, Moscow, Russia;
• Max Plank Institute for Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany
• Rostock University, Rostock, Germany   
• International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy
• Calabria University, Calabria, Italy
• Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague;  Czech Republic
• Institute of Materials, University of Nantes, Nantes, France;
• University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
• Rey Juan Carlos University, and Casablanca university, Spain 
• EPLF, Switzerland as a member of the Indian team for AIT innovation.

Also, there are several invited talks delivered at national institutions like IISc, IITs, NITs, Central and State Universities including JNU, and BHU, Colleges, Indian Science Congresses, and the like.

He had organised    three international conferences, \ seven national conferences, two international GIAN courses, several governments supported, and self-financing training programs and workshops, and two mega INSPIRE science camps for school children, and many workshops for school teachers as part of the science out-reach programmes. 

Professional services include Member of the Senates of various NITs and Universities, and the  Board of Studies (Physics) of various Universities and Institutes. Also served in the Faculty/Selection Boards of various NITs, Universities, and scientific institutions like the DRDO etc. Chaired many PhD theses adjudication boards of Universities and institutes including IISc, IITs and NITs. He also had  maintained memberships in various professional bodies like OSA, OSI, SPIE and several local academic and scientific societies, and officiated as the Vice President of the Thermo physical Properties Society of India

His current research collaborators include the research groups of Professor Jean Christian Bernede and Dr.Linda Cattin of IMN, Nantes,  France, Professor  Andrey N. Aleshin, Organic electronics group, Ioffe Institute, Russia, Prof. Henrique Leonel Gomes of the Universidade do Algarve, Portugal, Prof. Angel Luis Alvarez, Technical School of Telecommunications Engineering (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain), Professor Philippe Mandin, ‘Université de Bretagne Sud, France, and Prof. Lukas Schmidt Mende of the University of Konstanz, Germany.

Prof. Predeep had successfully undertaken an international project on  Hydrogen production as fuel with the  ‘Université de Bretagne Sud, France. Recently he has been awarded a Indo-France joint project of 1.25 Crores on Single Crystalline Perovskite Solar Cells by CIEFPRA. with Dr.Sreekala MS of the SNSNT as the Co-PI in collaboration with Prof.Linda Cattin of the Institute of Materials, Nantes University, France,