New Delhi July 23: The Department of Chemistry at Hansraj College, University of Delhi, hosted the inaugural Indo-South African Symposium on Chemical Biology and Therapeutics in partnership with the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.
The day-long convening brought together over 100 scientists, policymakers, and students—from undergraduates to laboratory heads—around a central question: how the science of molecules becomes medicine that reaches people in both countries.
The symposium reflects Hansraj College’s trajectory of research. The college has ranked 3rd nationally among colleges in NIRF India Rankings 2025 (up from 12th) and holds NAAC ‘A++’ accreditation with a CGPA of 3.71.
Dr. Dhananjai K. Tiwary, Managing Director of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and Senior Advisor at the Department of Biotechnology, delivered the inaugural address. Prof. (Dr.) Rama, Principal of Hansraj College, presided; Prof. Brijesh Rathi, head of the Laboratory for Translational Chemistry and Drug Discovery, convened the session.
Prof. Anil K. Mishra, former Director of INMAS-DRDO, opened with a scientific address, followed by a panel on “Powering Bioeconomy: Industry Readiness, Entrepreneurship and Employment,” moderated by Prof. Pawan K. Dhar of the CVJ Centre for Synthetic Biology and Biomanufacturing, Kochi.
Dr. Kaviraj Singh, Founder & CEO of Earthood, recounted his transition from clinical medicine to entrepreneurship, urging students not to wait for a finished career before launching ventures. Dr. Anant N. Bhatt of INMAS-DRDO emphasized that fluency in artificial intelligence—target identification, molecular design, imaging, and personalised treatment—is now baseline for drug discovery, not specialisation. Prof. Veron Ramsuran of UKZN presented work on African genomics and precision medicine, and shared his life lessons of how he made the transition from Boston to Durban.
Dr. Ravesh Singh of NHLS-UKZN shared findings on drug-resistant infections circulating in KwaZulu-Natal. Dr. Sahil Tulsi of UKZN presented advances in personalised tuberculosis treatment.
Two hours were reserved for Turbo Talks, a competitive session in which postgraduate and early-career researchers presented original work to an international audience—for many, a first cross-border defence of their research. The session was very well received, culminating in the best talk awards.
“India and South Africa carry overlapping disease burdens and complementary scientific strengths” said Prof. Brijesh Rathi, Convenor. “Deep genomic and clinical insight into African populations pairs with India’s manufacturing scale and medicinal-chemistry capacity. Therapeutics built to serve both are strongest when developed together from the start—and most durable when today’s students build tomorrow’s solutions.”
The symposium ended on a positive note of establishing a joint collaborative framework in the area of drug discovery and biomanufacturing.