The Department of Geology, Jagannath Barooah University, hosted an informative academic event on June 21, 2025, at 10:00 AM in Conference Hall 1 of the institute. The session featured a presentation by four students who recently participated in a prestigious international student exchange program at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA. These students were Parishita Buragohain, Debasish Borah, Snigdha Dutta, and Bhargav Gogoi.
This student exchange initiative was part of an academic collaboration between Georgia Tech and Jagannath Barooah University. It was designed to provide students with exposure to advanced research environments and cross-cultural academic exchange. During their 13-day visit, from April 13 to April 25, 2025, at Georgia Tech, the students received intensive training in Geothermochronology, with a particular focus on the Application of Fission Track Dating (FTD). FTD is a crucial method used to determine the thermal history and age of geological samples.
The training was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Karl A. Lang, Assistant Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA, and Dr. Aislin Reynolds, President Postdoctoral Fellow, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA. Dr. Raghupratim Rakshit coordinated and mentored the entire program from the Indian side. The exchange program was generously funded by the AGeS-DiG initiative of the National Science Foundation (NSF), USA.
In their presentation, they offered a comprehensive overview of the training program. They covered their selection process, the nature of their academic activities in the U.S., and the scientific skills they developed. They explained the significance of Fission Track Dating in geology, detailing how it's used to study tectonic uplift, erosion, and the thermal evolution of the Earth's crust. They described how uranium-238 undergoes spontaneous fission in certain minerals, leaving behind microscopic trails that can be analyzed to understand geological events over millions of years.
The presentation also delved into the methodology followed during the training, including field sampling, mineral separation, etching, imaging, and modeling. The session was made engaging through visual slides, photographs, and personal accounts of their academic and cultural experiences abroad.
Beyond the scientific content, they candidly discussed the benefits of participating in international programs, from adapting to a new academic culture to networking with researchers from diverse backgrounds. They strongly encouraged current students to pursue similar opportunities.
Dr. Raghupratim Rakshit, their mentor and the program's coordinator, concluded the session with words of appreciation and encouragement. He highlighted the significance of international exposure and knowledge dissemination. The session was a resounding success, effectively showcasing the importance of global academic collaborations and experiential learning. Finally, he acknowledged the institute's authorities and all present and past faculty members of the department for their unwavering support and encouragement.
