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Prof. Raghunathan, Dean, Global Engagement | “Everyone successful wears multiple hats”| Ep. 11

Ever wonder how a mysterious floppy disk with no instructions led to an entire career in AI? No, we ain’t exaggerating. Meet Prof Raghu, who went from playing late-night TT in Narmada hostel to becoming IIT Madras' Dean of Global Engagement. In this episode, he spills the tea about: 🏓 Epic 2:30 AM table tennis matches in hostel common rooms 📚What chemical engineering actually is (no, it's not Chemistry) to becoming an expert in AI in chemical engineering. 📊 How he conquered jet lag to finish writing his book (spoiler: 2:30 AM coffee sessions!) ➖ The legendary professor who only gave negative marks 🌍 Taking IIT Madras global (literally, to Zanzibar!) Bonus: Find out why Prof Raghu claims Narmada was "clearly the best hostel" and their secret to winning nine six-a-side competitions! 00:00 Introduction 00:55 Meet Professor Raghu 01:27 Student Life at IIT Madras 04:18 Life Abroad: Studying at Purdue 06:15 Chemical Engineering and AI 16:05 Teaching and Writing Books 31:45 Role as Dean of Global Engagement 35:17 Global Engagement and Academic Matchmaking 36:05 Strategic University Collaborations 38:25 International Conferences and Institute of Eminence 39:59 Taking IIT Madras Global 41:39 IIT Madras Zanzibar: A New Frontier 44:22 Admissions and Faculty at IIT Madras Zanzibar 50:13 Challenges and Vision for IIT Madras Zanzibar 57:33 IITM Global: Expanding Research and Innovation 01:00:31 Balancing Multiple Roles as an Academic 01:07:45 Relaxation and Personal Interests 01:09:56 Walmart Center for Tech Excellence 01:12:33 Conclusion and Final Thoughts To know more about what makes IIT Madras- the Best Place to Build- hit https://www.bestplacetobuild.com/

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Jan 30, 20251h 13mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Professor Raghu on global campuses, AI, and academic multitasking today

  1. Professor Raghu contrasts IIT Madras student life in the late 1980s—fun, security, and low pressure—with today’s higher-stakes, higher-pressure environment.
  2. He explains chemical engineering as the discipline of scaling chemistry to safe, efficient bulk manufacturing, and describes his early pivot into AI via expert systems built from rule-based “knowledge shells.”
  3. He outlines his academic career across IIT Bombay and multiple US universities, emphasizing mentorship, departmental culture, and the practical tradeoffs that led him back to IIT Madras.
  4. As Dean of Global Engagement, he describes four operating verticals—academic programs, research collaborations, international conferences, and Institute of Eminence administration—shifting from “bringing the world to IITM” to “taking IITM to the world.”
  5. He details IIT Madras Zanzibar as a full-stack microcosm of IITM (teaching, research, skilling, consultancy, innovation) plus a newer IITM Global initiative aimed at exporting IITM’s research, IP, and startup ecosystem via international outposts.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Chemical engineers turn lab reactions into scalable, safe production.

Raghu frames chemical engineering as “making things in bulk,” where mixing, heat transfer, safety, and scale effects change dramatically from test tubes to industrial reactors.

Early AI in engineering often started as rule-based expert systems.

His entry into AI came from building an expert system with ~150–200 rules for selecting vapor–liquid equilibrium models, illustrating how “old AI” enabled structured decision-making before modern ML.

Great teaching can be built around a unifying ‘central principle.’

He wrote his process control book after repeatedly refining the course to revolve around one core mathematical idea (partial fractions of transfer functions) and only adding concepts when necessary.

Writing technical books demands accuracy pressure beyond classroom teaching.

He notes that mistakes can be corrected live in class, but persist “forever” in print, requiring years of iteration and painstaking example-checking—often during rare time windows like COVID or jet lag.

Global academic strategy should prioritize intent and excellence pockets over rankings.

He argues against rigid rank-based partnering, because niche strengths and the right collaborators can exist anywhere, especially in emerging or interdisciplinary areas.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

Chemical engineers make things in bulk.

— Prof. Raghunathan

He was like a catalyst.

— Prof. Raghunathan

In a book, it’s there forever.

— Prof. Raghunathan

Most successful faculty have to wear multiple hats.

— Prof. Raghunathan

We’ve not gone… with the idea that I’m coming to uplift people… we are learning from each other.

— Prof. Raghunathan

IIT Madras student culture then vs nowChemical engineering vs chemistry; scale-up and safetyExpert systems and early AI in engineeringTeaching philosophy and writing rigorous textbooksGlobal Engagement office structure and strategyIIT Madras Zanzibar: programs, admissions, faculty modelIITM Global: research/IP/startup international outpostsAcademic entrepreneurship and faculty startupsManaging multiple roles; time management and resilienceWalmart Center for Tech Excellence for MSMEs

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