CHENNAI: The role of educational institutions, especially universities should not just be restricted to giving degrees, but also at the same time, focus on research, innovation, and inventions, Dr TR Paarivendhar, MP and Founder and Chancellor, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, said on Monday.

Presiding over the inaugural function of the International Conference on Advanced Functional Materials and Devices – AFMD 2024, Dr Paarivendhar appreciated Nanotechnology Research Centre of SRMIST for organising the conference on a grand scale with participation from some of the premier technical institutions the world over.

Dr. Ashish Lele Director, National Chemical Laboratory, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, said advancements in material sciences had today spanned different applications and advanced the functionality of materials, thereby getting incorporated into various devices.

Stating that material science went hand in hand with human civilisation, Dr Lele traced mankind’s experiments with various materials through the stone, iron, and bronze ages. Nanotechnology, he said became very popular during the middle.