Hello.

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia

So my name is Subhasishi. I did my bachelors. From Durgapur Government College. And I did my bachelors in chemistry honors. Which is under like University of Bard one. And then I. Obtain my postgraduate MSC from university. Do you have not? And then I joined CSI Central Mechanical Engineering Research in. Tube Appro. Fellow and enrolled myself. In the PhD program under the Academy of Scientific University. Reset. And I obtained my. PhD in the year 2022. And my area of research was generation of hydrogen. The development of electrocatalyst for generation of hydrogen. And then I joined for a short time at Ben Gurion University. In Israel. File for a postdoctoral fellowship. And then I obtained the humble to research policy and. Joined 5 university. Berlin. To contact the. Quit doctoral research and there I worked on the operando investigation of transition metal based. Electric, at least for water splitting. And then I obtained the. Used to inspire faculty fellowship and currently working. In the in Aiser Bhopal. And my. My current area of research is electrochemistry and catalysis for energy and sustainability applications. Toe. Hello. Can you hear me?

Professor, you mentioned your current research involves electrochemistry and catalysis for energy applications. When you're teaching an introductory chemistry course, what's one foundational concept you find most rewarding to explain to students, and why?

I as I want to teach electrochemistry. Which is a basis of. Several applications ranging from life. Energy Sustainability. Environmental Protect. And other thing that fascinates me a lot. Because if we see around the world, the electrochemistry has a huge application.

I as I want to teach electrochemistry. Which is a basis of. Several applications ranging from life. Energy Sustainability. Environmental Protect. And other thing that fascinates me a lot. Because if we see around the world, the electrochemistry has a huge application. Where you can see from the battery. Fertilizer.

I as I want to teach electrochemistry. Which is a basis of. Several applications ranging from life. Energy Sustainability. Environmental Protect. And other thing that fascinates me a lot. Because if we see around the world, the electrochemistry has a huge application. Where you can see from the battery. Fertilizer. To to corrosion subprotectin.

I as I want to teach electrochemistry. Which is a basis of. Several applications ranging from life. Energy Sustainability. Environmental Protect. And other thing that fascinates me a lot. Because if we see around the world, the electrochemistry has a huge application. Where you can see from the battery. Fertilizer. To to corrosion subprotectin. Generous enough carbon neutral fuels. Everything. So I want to aspire the. Respond the students.

I as I want to teach electrochemistry. Which is a basis of. Several applications ranging from life. Energy Sustainability. Environmental Protect. And other thing that fascinates me a lot. Because if we see around the world, the electrochemistry has a huge application. Where you can see from the battery. Fertilizer. To to corrosion subprotectin. Generous enough carbon neutral fuels. Everything. So I want to aspire the. Respond the students. To like get an idea about electron. And its implication in real?

Okay, so it sounds like you see electrochemistry as a foundation for a lot of real-world applications, from energy to the environment. Can you share one example of how you connect those big-picture applications back to the fundamental concepts when teaching undergraduates?

Alright, so you're connecting electrochemistry to everyday applications like batteries and fertilizers. When you explain those links to your students, do you use any particular classroom demonstration or analogy that really gets the concept across for them?

Right, so you're tying electrochemistry to real-world things like batteries, fertilizers, and corrosion protection. When you introduce a topic like batteries in class, do you have a specific demonstration or analogy that helps your students grasp the underlying electrochemical principles?

So, looking at your PhD thesis on developing noble-metal-free electrocatalysts for water splitting, how did that experience shape the way you teach core electrochemistry concepts to undergraduates—especially those who might not have a research background?

You want your students to appreciate how the movement

And I think. Yes. Can you please repeat?

Right, you were talking about wanting students to see how electrochemistry connects to real-world things like batteries and sustainability. When you've taught these concepts, can you give me a concrete example of an activity or demonstration you've used to help undergraduates really grasp the practical side of electrochemistry?

Yes, certainly, like. If we look at the electrolyzer, because if we see around the world, the energy crisis and environmental pollution is a. Huge problem. So to. Hope that problem we need to like develop. The sustainable energy technologies and the hydrogen energy is showing a better promise. In that context. So if we see like. If we were. Put electricity through water. It can generate hydrogen and oxygen. So. I can demonstrate like. How easily hydrogen can be generated? Why we need to? Like use a better catalyst and everything. To generate more and more amount of hydrogen. How we can reduce the? Like cost for hydrogen? So and I can. Practically show them that how. Like by using it. December. Lies for energy resources like fuel sales. Other things and. Bilan easily demonstrated. To the students.

Okay, so you like to demonstrate hydrogen generation and the impact of catalysts directly in class—that's a pretty hands-on approach. Thinking back to your PhD work on electrocatalysts for water splitting, can you tell me about a moment where you had to simplify that research for students or a non-specialist audience? What did you focus on to make it click for them?

Like its practical implication. Like most of the people understand what's the current problem. So. To get an idea how this hydrogen works. So first of. Well, I focused on like why we need to do this. That's the main thing. To convey to the. Students or. Non specialized audience. So why? After we have to understand. Why we are doing this? And then we can easily. What to say like? MMM, let me engage them. My research idea. The first thing happened. Fasting to make. Why we are doing this? That's the main thing. And then we can easily. Wisdom in my research idea. And how it works and other things. And also like if I want to. And make them understand catalysis. So I give examples. Some kind of? For example like. If we go on a hilly Rd. So we have to travel through the hill. Then we need to. Higher energy. But if we can tunnel through the whole. Then we can easily pass through it. So that is the. Catalysis which can be easily understand. By any specialized audience or. Hello.

That analogy with tunneling through a hill to explain catalysis is clever—it gives students something visual to hold onto. In your time at Ben-Gurion University and later in Berlin, did you have opportunities to guide student research or projects? If so, how did you help students connect fundamental chemistry concepts to their own research questions?

During the birth. To like. Much like guides. Students, but during. My Berlin type and I was working at. I used to work with. Is expected to. Do I was working? Water electrolysis. Water oxidation reaction. So. I used to call it. Explain her concepts about electrochemistry, impedance and other things and. And also I had to I used to like. Helpful and grasp ideas of spectroscopy. She was working on a lot of like. Visual spectroscopy. The extremes of spectroscopy things and. And currently as I am working as an inspector. Currently I am guiding. Master student. Water electrolysis project and C is working on the. Spectroelectrochemical. Cobalt based electric at least and I. Used to like not only explain how about electrochemistry, impedance and other things also. I explained some like basic stuffs related. As a technique like I. Friends are how it appears. Spectroscopy. Absorption spectroscopy. What? How you? Works inspectorate chemical setup. Like how catalysis. General works in this kind of system. And how? How we study the catalytic cycles Another thing I. Heard that also and also. Currently I am teaching like. Not teaching, but. Making her underst. And how impedance spectroscopy can be utilized? To study the VXL kinetics and mechanical.

Alright, so you’ve been guiding a master’s student through a project on spectroelectrochemical cobalt-based electrocatalysts, and you’re making sure she really understands techniques like impedance spectroscopy and catalytic cycles. When you’re evaluating her progress or giving feedback, what do you look for to know she’s actually internalizing these concepts and not just following instructions?

No, actually she has like a. Very interesting this domain. And on top of what I tell. She always explains me. That what she is thinking about this domain and. How she's approaching the experiments and. How she is understanding what's happening and the things although I tell her. About the basic concept. Also see some. There tells me like. Why we need to take? Do this and. And what are the basic principles of electrochemistry, catalysis and this thing? So I always check that. He doesn't just follow my instruction, but the graphs. What is the? Core idea, our project.

No, actually she has like a. Very interesting this domain. And on top of what I tell. She always explains me. That what she is thinking about this domain and. How she's approaching the experiments and. How she is understanding what's happening and the things although I tell her. About the basic concept. Also see some. There tells me like. Why we need to take? Do this and. And what are the basic principles of electrochemistry, catalysis and this thing? So I always check that. He doesn't just follow my instruction, but the graphs. What is the? Core idea, our project. And also see sometimes. Make some presentations, analysis and. Send me to send to me and talk with me. The house he did it and the. What is ideas you have caught from this experience? And most importantly, like she has a. Interest in these domains so I can. Understand that this is actually. Learning. From this project.

Given your research on hydrogen generation and electrocatalysis, where do you see the most fundable research directions over the next three years? What kinds of grants or external funding would you pursue to support your work at VIT University?

Okay, so your approach is to check whether students can explain why they're doing an experiment and whether they can analyze and present their findings—sounds thorough. Thinking about your research on hydrogen generation and electrocatalysts, where do you see the most fundable directions over the next three years? What kinds of grants or external funding would you pursue to support that work?

Yes, like them. In hydrogen generation through electrolysis. There's a lot of people. On the development of Catalyst. And it has reached a bottleneck, so I think. Implication of this. Other external. Like external, physical. Fields like magnetic field, photon. Like for solar? Sorry like. The magnetic field. Do you like the things? I'd also like to we have to develop. Different physics. Just to improve. How to through electrolysis? So that is the next stage of this electrocatalysis result because? What I understand if we continue to discovering. Or developing new and new catalyst to. We will be able to achieve the thermodynamic. Of water, electricity. Which is like 2-3 Volt like to. Would you need to have? Approach in. Future so we can make the hydrogen cheaper and. Recognition of magnetic field. The water electrolysis and not just like a theoretical or. Just.

Yes, like them. In hydrogen generation through electrolysis. There's a lot of people. On the development of Catalyst. And it has reached a bottleneck, so I think. Implication of this. Other external. Like external, physical. Fields like magnetic field, photon. Like for solar? Sorry like. The magnetic field. Do you like the things? I'd also like to we have to develop. Different physics. Just to improve. How to through electrolysis? So that is the next stage of this electrocatalysis result because? What I understand if we continue to discovering. Or developing new and new catalyst to. We will be able to achieve the thermodynamic. Of water, electricity. Which is like 2-3 Volt like to. Would you need to have? Approach in. Future so we can make the hydrogen cheaper and. Recognition of magnetic field. The water electrolysis and not just like a theoretical or. Just. Mystic is. And I have to implicate on real electrochemical devices. So that. What is the idea in? I want to approach research grad. Like mainly from an RF? Because they are providing grants. PMEC and like. Early career research grants and also I want to. Look for grants from the. India's renewable energy. History. As well green and green energy. And also I'm looking from bilateral. There will be some. Opportunity arises in the future.

You pointed out that just developing new catalysts isn't enough and that integrating physical fields like magnetic or photon effects could be the next leap for hydrogen production. Given that direction, how would you go about building a research group around this at an institution like VIT, and what would your pitch be to potential funders about its long-term impact?

Alright, Professor, let's shift focus to your teaching approach. Suppose you're assigned a large foundational chemistry course—say, 200 students—and you can't use slides or traditional lecture methods. How would you run a session that keeps students genuinely engaged and learning the material?

In that case I will like. Use the Internet and. Share the course materials to the students. And like in a group, I will. With them.

In that case I will like. Use the Internet and. Share the course materials to the students. And like in a group, I will. With them. Groups and then I will. Approach them and we will share the study materials. The 200 students. Teaching without a. Is something difficult, so I have to make smaller groups and then. And share the study materials with them and then I will do like group discuss. Like I'll spread them in groups and then. They can discuss among them. Regarding the study material.

So you'd set up group work and share materials online—makes sense for a large class. Let's say you notice some students aren't participating or seem disengaged in this format. How do you bring them back in and make sure they're really learning, not just coasting along?

So you'd have them discuss the material in groups—sometimes students in large classes still hang back or let others do the talking. How would you encourage quieter students to participate, or make sure everyone's actually engaging with the material?

So in that case, if someone is quieter. Then I will make the groups in a such a way that the. People can be. Free among themselves. So the I will look after look around like. Which peoples are quieter and they. I will divide the groups in such a manner then. That they actually interact with. Necessary I can join them as well. To encourage. Like if someone is not willing to speak and. Being afraid to speak. Yeah, in that case I will. Which engage with them. So that. They interrupt. With their student. Hello.

Right, so you’d actually move around the room, join quieter groups, and nudge those students to participate by making sure they feel comfortable—sounds pretty student-focused. That covers engagement. Now, when it comes to evaluating students—especially in group formats or open discussions—how do you make sure your grading is transparent and maintains academic integrity?

So the grading is based on the knowledge. So I will grade on the basis of. How much they learn. And I will make sure everyone learns. And thus the court subject and the study materials I'm providing. So on the basis of how much they learned, I will grade them. And I would be easily accessible like keep some. Does something and. Want to learn more? They can approach.

Alright, Professor, accreditation cycles can be demanding. If you joined our department and found that outcome assessment data was inconsistent across chemistry courses, how would you approach fixing that?

Please explain a brief Del.

Please explain a brief Del. I didn't get your point.

Thanks for clarifying your approach to assessment, Professor. Now, I want to shift to a scenario that comes up in academic life. Imagine a student files a formal complaint, claiming your grading was biased. At the same time, your department head is pressuring you to improve pass rates. How would you handle that situation to balance fairness, integrity, and departmental expectations?

Got it.

Can you please explain what do you?

Sure, let me explain. Accreditation cycles are when the university is reviewed to make sure its programs meet national or international standards. During those reviews, departments have to show evidence that students are learning what they're supposed to—this is called “outcome assessment.” If the data on student learning outcomes was inconsistent from one chemistry course to another, meaning some courses were measuring or reporting differently, how would you go about making that more consistent and reliable across the department?

In that case, I will talk with the students like why they are not being able to. Catch up those courses and also. I will. Approach to the faculty member who is involved in the approach. And discuss with them like. How can I be able to assist them if we needed? To the student, what is the lacking? Back there feeling. Why they are not being able to? Catch up those courses. And if I have no expertise or have idea about that? Try to. Help the the students as well as I will talk with the faculty member.

Okay, so you'd talk directly with students and faculty to figure out what's causing those inconsistencies and try to support both sides. Let's take a different scenario—say a colleague asks you to co-author a paper, but you notice some of the data they're presenting seems questionable or possibly manipulated. How would you handle that situation?

In that case, I will talk with the colleague directly talk with the colleague. Discuss what? And if that does. Dissolved. In that case, I think there is. Research Integrity. Develop. What is available? Them as well. April the Discuss. Then he doesn't like. Umm.

Alright, let's talk about bridging research and industry. Given your focus on hydrogen generation and electrocatalysis, do you have industry contacts or collaborations that could help students land internships or work on real industry problems?

Yes.

Yes. In the industry, but. I'm currently trying to build contacts like. I have contacts who are working in. Energy. This because of a lot of my brother. Former colleagues are working in that woman. But really trying to build content. The industrial sectors. To working in. So I think I can help. Them in landing. The event and the reinvoice. Real problems. Industrial scale hydrogen engine.

So you mentioned industry connections—let's shift gears and talk about guiding student research. If a master's student comes to you struggling to define a thesis topic in hydrogen storage, how would you help them narrow it down and make real research progress?

Okay, so you’re building industry contacts in energy and hydrogen sectors, and you feel you could help students find real-world projects and internships as those links grow. Let’s shift to your research publications—can you tell me about one paper you've published in a reputed journal that you think best represents your research identity, and why you chose to submit it to that particular journal?

Yes, I work on like a. Agenda. I published one work. Like in iron, molybdenum based catalyst for hydrogen generation and. I have been able to approach in like a very. Pretty low over potential. Like the that is like potential, we need to apply more than the thermodynamic calculated position. And I submitted that. In that journal. And it got published. So and the. Not only the catalyst was good and it also. Showed a tremendous. Operational stability, which is another main factor. We had development of cat.

Alright, Professor, we're wrapping up. Is there anything you'd like to ask about the role or the department before we finish?

Yes. Like I want to know like how much students. I will be guiding or teaching. During this role and. Another thing is that what kind of research would. I will be. Way to 1.