Big Science and Bold Futures in India Jahnavi Phalkey and Sarah Thompson
Event details
Join Jahnavi Phalkey, Founding Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru, as she delves into the emergence of big science in 20th-century India and shares her vision for the scientific future of the country.
In conversation with Sarah Thompson, Interim Pro-Vice Chancellor Research of the University of York, Jahnavi will discuss the intersection of science, art and society, and examine the opportunities and challenges facing India’s scientific landscape in the 21st century.
Hear about the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and discover how institutions like Science Gallery Bengaluru are shaping a new era of public engagement with science in India.
Science Gallery Bengaluru is India's first and only science gallery and is also the first Asian member of the Global Science Gallery Network – and the only gallery in the network that is located outside the walls of a university. As a public institution dedicated to research-based engagement, it brings together emerging ideas from the human, natural and social sciences, engineering and the arts, ensuring that science, art and culture converge in innovative and thought-provoking ways.
Through exhibitions, fellowships, mentorship programmes and public initiatives, the Gallery aims to empower young adults, foster open research collaborations and shape cultural debates on science. The Gallery’s unique approach—especially its Public Lab Complex—is a testament to its commitment to making science accessible to diverse audiences and encouraging critical thinking and creativity.
Don't miss this opportunity to hear from one of the most influential Indian figures in contemporary science communication and public engagement.
Image credit: Science Gallery Bengaluru
About the speakers
Jahnavi Phalkey’s work has been instrumental in building a space where art and science collide in ways that inspire collaboration, spark conversations and foster future innovation. With a background in the history of science and technology, Jahnavi has held esteemed academic positions, including at King’s College London, UK and the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and has been recognised for her groundbreaking work in the history of scientific research in India. She is the author of Atomic State: Big Science in Twentieth Century India and co-editor of Science of Giants: China and India in the Twentieth Century. Her acclaimed documentary, Cyclotron, further exemplifies her ability to blend narrative and research to make science both accessible and compelling. In 2023, she was awarded the prestigious Infosys Prize in Humanities for her exceptional contributions to the understanding of scientific research histories in modern India.
Professor Sarah Thompson is the Interim Pro-Vice Chancellor Research at the University of York, UK and leads the University’s Transformational Initiative on Building Industry Engagement and Income. She has previously held the roles of Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Sciences and Head of the Department of Physics at the University and served as Vice President of the Institute of Physics (Science and Innovation) from 2015-2019. Her research interests are in nanomagnetism and nanoscale thermal transport and she has also won awards from the Institute of Physics and the British Association for science outreach. In 2012 she was awarded an MBE for services to Higher Education.
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