Best Place To BuildProf. Raghunathan, Dean, Global Engagement | “Everyone successful wears multiple hats”| Ep. 11
CHAPTERS
Welcome to ‘Best Place to Build’: Prof. Raghu’s many roles at IIT Madras
The host introduces Prof. Raghunathan (Prof. Raghu) and sets the context: a professor spanning Chemical Engineering and Data Science & AI, author of two books, and Dean of Global Engagement. The conversation is framed around what makes IIT Madras a unique place to learn, build, and engage globally.
- •Prof. Raghu’s dual-department appointment (Chemical Engineering + Data Science & AI)
- •Researcher and author of two technical books
- •Current leadership role: Dean of Global Engagement
- •Episode theme: successful academics “wear multiple hats”
Life as an IITM student (1986–1990): hostels, sports, and campus culture
Prof. Raghu reflects on his IIT Madras student years, emphasizing the balance of academics with a low-pressure, high-fun environment. He recounts hostel life, late-night games, sports competitions, and cultural festivals as formative experiences.
- •Student life felt less pressured compared to today
- •Hostel Narmada memories and sports (TT, cricket, six-a-side)
- •Festival culture: Mardi Gras (now Saarang), posters and participation
- •Campus competitions and activities shaped community and confidence
Studying abroad at Purdue: community networks and research freedom
He describes how common it was for his cohort to pursue graduate studies in the US and how Purdue offered a smooth transition due to a strong IITM network. Graduate school is portrayed as a time of exploration—sports, coursework, and the creativity of research.
- •Most of his small batch went to the US; many completed PhDs
- •Strong IITM senior network at Purdue eased relocation and settling in
- •Graduate research enabled more creative technical exploration
- •Sports and student community were central to life abroad
What chemical engineering really is: scaling, safety, and “making things in bulk”
Prof. Raghu explains chemical engineering in lay terms by contrasting it with chemistry: chemists discover reactions, chemical engineers scale them safely and efficiently. He illustrates how chemical engineering appears everywhere—from clothing to semiconductors—and why scaling changes everything.
- •Core distinction: scaling lab chemistry into industrial production
- •Key principles: mass, energy, momentum balances with reactions
- •Scaling challenges: mixing, heat transfer, and safety at large volumes
- •Examples: fermentation (idli/dosa batter), fuel cells, semiconductor CMP
Early AI in chemical engineering: expert systems and a “full-circle” origin story
He recounts how an undergraduate project on building an expert system sparked his interest in AI. That interest guided his choice of Purdue, where faculty were working on AI in chemical engineering—revealing that the original floppy disk for his project traced back to his future PhD advisor.
- •BTech project: knowledge-based/expert system using rules and conflict resolution
- •Motivation to find universities doing AI in chemical engineering (rare at the time)
- •Purdue’s fit: strong program + faculty (Prof. Venkat) in the area
- •Full-circle moment: the project tool originated from Prof. Venkat’s visit to IITM
Mentorship and Prof. Ananth stories: teaching brilliance and lasting influence
The conversation turns to Prof. Ananth’s impact—his note-free thermodynamics teaching and unusual grading style. Humorous anecdotes highlight both rigor and culture, reinforcing how mentorship can shape careers and decisions.
- •Prof. Ananth’s boardwork mastery without notes in a hard subject
- •Distinct grading style: marking only deductions (negative marks)
- •Anecdotes and quotes illustrating academic rigor and humor
- •Mentorship as a recurring “catalyst” in Prof. Raghu’s career
Academic journey across IIT Bombay and US universities—and the decision to return
Prof. Raghu outlines his faculty journey: IIT Bombay, Clarkson University, Texas Tech, and the eventual return to IIT Madras. He explains differences in context and impact, the practical challenges of moving research groups, and the personal/family factors that triggered his return.
- •IIT Bombay experience: supportive department culture and early research growth
- •Reason for moving to US: perceived higher impact for systems/AI work at the time
- •Unusual transition: negotiating support to move multiple PhD students with him
- •Return to IITM catalyzed by a conference encounter + family alignment
From teaching to authorship: why he wrote books on process control and data science
He explains how repeated teaching pushed him to simplify concepts and develop coherent frameworks—eventually turning into textbooks. The process required balancing theoretical accuracy with accessibility, especially for industry learners in data science.
- •Process control book emerged from finding a unifying “central principle” for the course
- •Data science book grew from industry teaching needs (linear algebra, optimization, statistics)
- •Goal: accurate yet accessible explanations for practitioners
- •Courses → refined notes over years → structured books
The hidden grind of writing technical books: accuracy pressure and COVID/jetlag hacks
Prof. Raghu details the intense effort behind producing error-free engineering books, where mistakes persist permanently. He shares how COVID enabled focused collaboration for final checks, and how jetlag time was repurposed for last-mile edits amid dean responsibilities.
- •Technical writing pressure: reputational risk of errors that ‘stay forever’
- •Multi-year note accumulation and exhaustive example verification
- •COVID-era collaboration to finalize the process control book
- •Finishing the data science book during a US trip using early-morning jetlag hours
Defining Global Engagement at IITM: from INAR split to a structured office
He explains how the earlier International & Alumni Relations deanship became too broad and was split into Alumni/Corporate Relations and Global Engagement. Global Engagement was then organized into clear verticals spanning programs, research, conferences, and Institute of Eminence administration.
- •INAR deanship split due to growth/complexity of international activities
- •Global Engagement office created with multiple operational verticals
- •Academic programs vertical: inbound/outbound mobility and joint programs
- •Additional verticals: research collaboration, conference secretariat, IoE administration
Academic matchmaking and strategic collaborations: beyond rankings
Prof. Raghu describes how the office supports visas, logistics, outreach, and course/research matching for international visitors and IITM students abroad. Strategically, he emphasizes intent and pockets of excellence over university rankings, and highlights collaborations in emerging national-priority areas like semiconductors.
- •Operational support: visas/FRRO, outreach, course availability, credit transfer coordination
- •Matchmaking between visiting students/faculty and IITM departments
- •Shift over time: from seeking partners to selecting best-fit collaborations
- •Strategy: value intent and excellence clusters; example: semiconductor initiatives (incl. Purdue LOI)
Conferences and Institute of Eminence (IoE): bringing global research to campus
He explains why hosting international conferences at IITM matters—students gain direct access to top researchers and networks without leaving campus. He also outlines how IITM used IoE funding largely for research projects via a bottom-up proposal process rather than a top-down directive.
- •International conferences as a campus-level access and networking multiplier
- •Conference secretariat focus: running major events at IITM (plus some travel support)
- •IoE funding use: majority allocated to research projects
- •Bottom-up selection: identify strong groups organically through proposals
Taking IIT Madras global: the Zanzibar campus vision and operating model
The discussion moves from ‘bringing the world to IITM’ toward building IITM’s presence abroad, starting with IIT Madras Zanzibar—designed as a microcosm of IITM rather than a degree-only outpost. He outlines programs, admissions, student mix, faculty strategy, and the broader educational rationale for an international campus.
- •IITM Zanzibar: first offshore campus of any IIT; envisioned as a full IITM-like ecosystem
- •Scope includes degrees, research, skilling, consultancy, innovation/incubation
- •Initial programs: BS DS&AI, MTech DS&AI, MTech Ocean Structures
- •Admissions: IITM-designed test + interview; global intake with diverse nationalities
- •Faculty model: permanent faculty + rotating faculty from IITM/other IITs/global universities
Challenges, culture, and leadership in Zanzibar + IITM Global for research/innovation export
He credits Prof. Preeti (campus director) for handling complex multi-hat leadership—building infrastructure, navigating finances/approvals, and adapting culturally. The conversation then distinguishes the heavy process of an offshore campus from a newer, lighter model: IITM Global—physical outposts to take IITM research, IP, and startups to other countries.
- •Setting up an abroad campus is harder: governance, funding flows, and cultural learning
- •Approach: collaborate respectfully—no ‘uplift’ mindset; focus on mutual learning
- •Early milestone: upcoming first master’s graduating cohort from Zanzibar
- •IITM Global concept: export IITM’s research, patents, and startup ecosystem via international outposts
- •Model positioned as less common than degree-commercial expansions—focused on research/innovation/IP
Startups, centers, and the ‘multiple hats’ thesis: managing success, failure, and time
Prof. Raghu details three startups (GAN Data, Geetha, Elysius) and explains how modern faculty work extends far beyond teaching and research into management, administration, and product/innovation delivery. He shares a philosophy of equanimity and pacing—accepting that not everything will go right, while staying steady through successes and failures.
- •Startups: GAN Data (AI/services for manufacturing), Geetha (education + InstaQP), Elysius (fuel cell architecture)
- •Faculty work today: teaching + research + grants + people management + administration + innovation
- •Key skills: time management, emotional steadiness, learning non-academic execution skills
- •Mindset: avoid over-identifying with outcomes; do the best work and keep pace sustainably
Relaxation, personal interests, and the Walmart Center for Tech Excellence (MSME AI enablement)
He shares how he relaxes—watching shows with his wife, past tennis, learning Carnatic flute, and aspirations to write more broadly. The episode closes with the Walmart Center’s mission: making AI/ML/IoT adoption feasible for MSMEs that can’t retain expensive talent, and building a clearer multi-year roadmap from early experimentation.
- •Relaxation: OTT viewing across languages, family time, writing interests
- •Past/pause hobbies: tennis; Carnatic flute practice (hopes to resume)
- •Walmart Center: CSR-backed effort to help MSMEs adopt AI/ML/IoT despite talent constraints
- •Core MSME challenge: implementation + maintenance + retention of skilled ML talent
- •Closing reflections and farewell
