IISER MOHALI

Abstract: Climate change is among the defining challenges of our time, but it is not merely a scientific or technological problem. While science provides the evidence needed to understand a changing climate and anticipate its consequences, scientific knowledge alone cannot determine how societies should respond. The challenge is therefore not only to generate knowledge, but also to connect that knowledge meaningfully with society. This lecture will explore the changing relationship between science and society in the context of climate change. It will highlight the importance of communicating scientific evidence in ways that are accessible without oversimplifying complexity, while recognising that meaningful public engagement must go beyond one-way communication. It requires dialogue, listening to people's experiences, concerns, values and aspirations, building trust, and enabling citizens to participate in conversations about choices that will shape their future. Thus, addressing climate change requires more than better science or better technology. It requires a society that understands scientific evidence, trusts the process by which knowledge is generated, is willing to engage in informed dialogue, and participates in responsible decision making. The future of climate action will depend not only on what science discovers, but on how effectively science and society learn to work together.

About the Speaker: Prof. (Dr.) Shekhar C. Mande, President of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), is an eminent structural and computational biologist and science administrator. He is currently a Distinguished Professor at the Bioinformatics Centre, Savitribai Phule Pune University. His research interests span protein structure, computational biology, molecular biophysics, and the analysis of large-scale biological data, with significant contributions to the understanding of infectious diseases, including tuberculosis.
After completing his M.Sc. in Physics from Nagpur University, Prof. Mande earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He subsequently pursued postdoctoral research at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen in the Netherlands and later worked at the University of Washington.
Prof. Mande has held several major scientific leadership positions, including Director of the National Centre for Cell Science, Pune, and Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). He also served as Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India, contributing to the country’s scientific research and policy ecosystem.
A recipient of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology in Biological Sciences, Prof. Mande is also a Fellow of the major Indian science academies. His journey as a researcher, institution builder, and scientific administrator reflects a sustained commitment to advancing science and strengthening India’s research and innovation landscape.