Retreat

http://www.iitmandi.ac.in/

One of the IITs, in Mandi, has flaunted its remoteness and turned it into an advantage. Mandi is situated in the Himalayan foothills. It has a scenic location and weather patterns quite different from the northern plains and the south, but has little by way of entertainment or other attractions. It is six hours from Chandigarh and an hour and a half from Kulu, the nearest airport.

To attract outstanding visiting faculty, IIT Mandi 

1. turned the usual semester season on its head. 
2. It works during the pleasant summer months and holidays during the cold winter. 
3. It sells itself as a retreat, somewhat like the California towns, and organises conferences where participants prefer to sit till the end. 

"We sell ourselves as the only IIT in the Himalayas," says its director Timothy Gonsalves. With 600 students and 60 professors, IIT Mandi has a high student-faculty ratio. It also specialises in Himalayan science and technology, and new materials for electrical, electronic and medical applications. 

Surprisingly, some Himalayan medicinal plants are useful for this application. Himalayan geology is another area of specialisation. Among other things, it also has a programme on next generation materials sponsored by Intel.IIT Mandi has thus been able to attract young faculty educated in top institutions in India and abroad.

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