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Prof. Sudhir K. Jain
Director; Professor (Civil Engineering)
Ph.D. (California Institute of Technology Pasadena, 1983)
Dr. Sudhir K. Jain is an outstanding academician, accomplished
leader in academic administration and a reputed engineering
consultant. He is a world renowned expert in the field of
earthquake engineering and structural engineering. He received his
B.E. degree from the University of Roorkee and MS and PhD
degrees from California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA. He
is on the Faculty of Civil Engineer, IIT Kanpur since 1984. He
accepted the position of Director, IIT Gandhinagar in June 2009.
Dr. Jain has been continuously contributing to the field of earthquake engineering,
spreading its awareness in India and other developing countries, and promoting its
incorporation into the design of buildings, bridges, dams, pipelines, etc. In 1986, he
undertook the Herculean task of developing “Indian Seismic Codes and Commentaries”,
which were practically non-existent. After 20 years of hard work, the codes are now
widely used by practicing engineers in India. He has carried out extensive on-site studies
on all major earthquakes in India and Abroad since 1988, most notably Killari earthquake
of 1993, Bhuj earthquake of 2001, and Sumatra earthquake and tsunami of 2004. He
published results of his studies in open literature for the benefit of researchers and
community at large. He has been conducting continuing education courses on earthquake
engineering since 1992, which attracted a large number of practicing engineers, college
teachers, and students. In 1999, he set up a self financing National Information Centre of
Earthquake Engineering (NICEE) at IIT Kanpur, which disseminates information to the
practicing engineers and public. He has been instrumental in the establishment of
National Programme on Earthquake Engineering Education (NPEEE) in 2003 with the
objective of enhancing country’s capacity in earthquake engineering through training
teachers and developing laboratories & libraries. He provided personal leadership to the
programme as its National Coordinator during 2003-07. In 2001, Dr. Jain started
organizing Annual Summer Camp for undergraduate civil engineering students from all
over India to motivate them in the profession. These camps are hugely popular. Dr. Jain
took lead and developed an online portal “Structural Engineering Forum of India (SEFI)”
for structural engineers to share their experiences. He co-founded Confined Masonry
Network to promote seismically safe, yet economical, housing worldwide.
Dr. Jain has been serving on the Board of Directors of the International Association for
Earthquake Engineering since the year 2000, and is currently its Executive Vice President
(since 2008). He is on the Board of Directors of the World Seismic Safety Initiative since
2002. He is also an Executive Board Member of the Asia-Pacific Association for Public
Safety Science and Technology since 2008. Dr. Jain is on the editorial board of several
national and international journals.
Dr. Jain guided a large number of M. Tech and Ph. D theses at IIT Kanpur. He undertook
several sponsored research projects. He has published over 160 research papers and
presented his work at national and international conferences. He has provided extensive
consulting services for buildings, bridges, dams and other structures within India and
abroad. Some of the important beneficiaries of his services include World Bank, Proctor
and Gamble USA, Indian Railways (RITES), Military Engineering Service, STUP
Consultants, Department of Telecommunications, State Governments, HAL, NTPC, Triveni
Structurals, BHEL, L & T Gulf, and Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority.
Dr. Jain made distinguishing contributions to the growth of IIT Kanpur through many
administrative responsibilities. During his tenure as the Dean, Resource Planning and
Generation (2005-08), the number of alumni donors increased ten folds and their
donations to IIT Kanpur also increased significantly due to Dr. Jain’s innovative approach,
inspiring leadership, and untiring personal efforts. As the Head, Department of Civil
Engineering (2001-03), he accomplished the mission of renovating teaching and research
laboratories of the department, and of significant infusion of outstanding faculty. Other
responsibilities he undertook include Chairman, Student Placement Committee (1995-96),
and Centre for Development of Technical Education (1997-2000). Professor Jain is a
Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering since 2003.
Dr. Sudhir K. Jain is aptly suitable to lead IIT Gandhinagar in its formative years.
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