Message from the President: A Brief History of Alumni Activities in India

Minnasan, Konnichiwa!

I am Ms. Antara Puranik (President, India Sakura Science Club Alumni Association).

The India Sakura Science Club Alumni Association (ISSCA) consists of students, researchers and teachers who have had the privilege of visiting Japan under the prestigious “Sakura Science Program” (SSP). The association was formed so that we all can keep sharing our success stories with each other, stay in touch with each other, become an inspiration to the younger generation and thus contribute to the development of the society.

As a President (since 2022-till date) and Coordinator of our alumni association, let me give you a brief history of all the alumni meetings held so far.

The first meeting of the India Sakura Science Club Alumni Association was held on October 5, 2018 in New Delhi, at the official residence of the Ambassador (Embassy of Japan in India). During the meeting, four coordinators were announced and Dr. Jeetendra Chugh (Prof. at IISER, Pune) was appointed as the President of ISSCA.

The second alumni meeting was held on 15 February, 2020 at IIT Delhi. The event introduced a unique highlight “Poster-Session Science Contest” exclusively for high school students. This was the first time such a contest was held in conjunction with an alumni meeting. The meeting also featured the introduction of newly appointed ISSCA coordinators.

The third alumni meeting was held virtually (Online) on May 29, 2021. A special highlight of the event was the presence of two distinguished Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) recipients based in Japan, Prof. Muralidhar Miryala and Prof. Rajib Shaw. Academic insights were shared through talks by invited professors, including Prof. Manish Biyani from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) and Prof. WAGATSUMA HIROAKI from the Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech).

On September 17, 2022, the fourth meeting of the India Sakura Science Club Alumni Association (ISSCA) was conducted in hybrid mode (on-line and off-line). The event was broadcasted live from the Japan Science and Technology Agency’s (JST) India Liaison Office in New Delhi. The keynote session featured four esteemed researchers from both Japan and India.

The fifth ISSCA alumni meet was held on February 17, 2024, at the Regal Hall, The Lalit Hotel, New Delhi. Three alumni, presented about their current paths after the program, while the Networking Session provided a warm platform for members to share memorable moments and personal experiences about their visit to Japan.

The sixth ISSCA alumni meeting was held on January 18, 2025, at the Hotel Pride Plaza, Aerocity, New Delhi. In addition to address made by officials supporting SSP and India-Japan relations, presentations by four alumni, including a high school student, a graduate student, a researcher, and a professional working in Japan, were extremely well-received.

The seventh meet was held at IIT Delhi on October 12, 2025. In a significant development, the Sakura Science Club (SSC) India alumni reunion was held on the same day as India JSPS Alumni Association’s (IJAA-Chaired by Prof. D. Sakthi Kumar) annual event at IIT Delhi. The seventh ISSCA alumni event represented JST’s commitment to supporting SSC initiatives and maintaining strong alumni networks across borders.

About the India Sakura Science Club Alumni Association and being an active participant, I would like to share my personal views. Personally, I feel that I have gained valuable insights from interacting with officials from both Japan and India and it has been my honour to get to know these dignitaries.

I would take this opportunity to tell the aspiring young students that they should always attend alumni meetings and learn from the highly esteemed guests who spare their valuable time for us out of their busy schedules because this is the only opportunity when these dignitaries are available for answering any career related queries as well as for showing you the right path towards your future. This platform has helped me to broaden my knowledge and to materialize my dreams about my career, which otherwise, I would never have strived for. I am indebted to each and every person of JST and everyone involved in SSP and SSC.

Thank you.