KU research scholar secures coveted fellowship at ETH Zurich

Srinagar, May 12: The University of Kashmir ( KU) Sunday announced that its research scholar from the Department of Botany, Showkat Ahmad Gojery, has secured a prestigious fellowship at one of the world's top- ranking institutes ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

ETH ( Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule) or Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, has a QS ( Quacquarelli Symonds) world ranking of 7 and THE ( Times Higher Education) world university ranking of 8.

"His research area largely focuses on understanding how Himalayan plants adapt and respond to the challenges posed by climate change," an official spokesperson said in a statement issued here.

KU Vice Chancellor, Prof Nilofer Khan, congratulated Showkat Ahmad and his supervisor and appreciated their endeavours.

She emphasised the significance of such accomplishments in fortifying the international standing of the University of Kashmir.

"Such achievements play a pivotal role in strengthening the international interface of the university and our ongoing efforts to encourage greater international collaboration will attract more talent to the campus," she said, adding that the varsity through the Association of Indian Universities ( AIU) is in the process of having more international students on the campus in due course of time.

Showkat Ahmad is currently working for his PHD programme under the supervision of Prof Manzoor A Shah. Previously, in 2021 Showkat earned another distinguished fellowship from Michigan State University, USA, where he worked for 6 months on local adaptations.

Based on his work, he was selected for two prestigious international workshops - one hosted in Morocco by the University of ParisSaclay, France, organised by Invacost, and another in Charles Darwin University, Australia, organised by the Society for Ecological Restoration.

Showkat Ahmad Gojery is now a member of these two international scientific organisations, InvaCost and SER,” the statement read.

After having carried out extensive field studies and transplant experiments in the Kashmir Himalaya along elevational gradients, Showkat is soon joining Dr Jake Alexander’s group at ETH Zurich, Switzerland for genomic level studies, the spokesperson said.

Prof Manzoor A Shah, Showkat’s supervisor at the Department of Botany, has successfully completed three international projects already, including an Indo- US, Indo- Canadian and Indo- German, that significantly facilitated student and faculty exchanges internationally, the statement added.