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‘Where there is a will, there is a way’ – an associate professor at a university in Tamil Nadu, who bagged the Fulbright scholarship in his third attempt, has proved that persistence plays a key role in achieving a desired result.
Balasubramani K, 42, who teaches in the Department of Geography at the Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN), had applied for the scholarship twice before but could not get through.
“I came to know to about Fulbright when I read about it online. I applied for the Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence (FNAPE) scholarship twice in 2021 and 2022. Both times (I) received the regret mail. This year, my host wanted me at the US and he applied for me for the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence. He proposed me as scholar. His proposal was selected among the US institutions and I was invited,” Balasubramani said.
His research revolves around studying geographical conditions such as disaster risk and spatial analysis, and reducing any loss to farming.
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Balasubramani’s passion for his research has kept him motivated all these years despite a few setbacks. Had he not been selected, he would have continued his search for the right scholarship, he told News18.
The associate professor has applied for dozens of fellowships in India already. He has received research grants from DST, SERB, ICMR, ICSSR and UGC. The academician has already published over 50 research articles on topics such as remote sensing, earth science, and public health in reputed journals. He is also a recipient of the Young Geographer Award by the National Association of Geographers, India (NAGI), and the Young Scientist Fellowship by TNSCST (Tamil Nadu government).
Yet, he says finding a supportive host institute was the “toughest part” of the grant.
“Finding a very supportive host at a US institution and writing a proposal are the toughest parts. Submission of proposal online (at Fulbright) is easy compared to other grants/fellowships,” he explained.
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The professor advised the researchers to focus on the purpose behind their research. “The purpose of the research is more important than quality. Sometimes, quality is not that sound, not even published, but it serves the purpose or solves the problem. In India, we do research mostly to attain a degree or for promotions. We have systems to improve the quality but the systems are just a paper work or evidence.”
His doctoral research has shed important insights into the potential of geospatial technologies in preparing sustainable agricultural development plans.
Life After Fulbright
As a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence, Balasubramani will represent CUTN as he joins North Carolina Central University (NCCU) as a visiting scholar from August 2023 to May 2024.
Out of 28 countries, Balasubramani is among 44 distinguished scholars selected for the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence program (2023-24).
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He will teach a course on remote sensing at NCCU, besides mentoring student projects and working with the sustainability group of the university on geospatial technologies in agriculture. “I will also deliver a series of lectures in the departments of NCCU and local institutions, and interact with the students on the effective utilisation of geospatial techniques for sustainable agriculture,” the professor said.
His quest of learning does not stop here, after completing his scholarship, he plans to apply for different visiting fellowships and continue to do academic and interdisciplinary research work in the fields of physical geography, disaster risk and spatial analysis.
Balasubramani has completed his Masters and Ph.D. from Madurai Kamaraj University. Before joining CUTN in 2017, he was a faculty at Madurai Kamaraj University (2009-11) and Bharathidasan University (2011-17). He has also worked as a visiting researcher at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology in 2019.
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