Students and faculty members of Indian Institute Technology – Kharagpur (IIT-K) and Massachusetts Institute of Technolgy (MIT) in US came together for a brainstorming session at American Centre in Kolkatta. The brainstorming session was held to convert Bolpur- Shantiniketan into a model sustainable heritage city.
According to the reports the students of Massachusetts Institute of Technolgy (MIT) are here in India for a yearlong India Practicum Programme (2016-17)
The students have compiled reports through an extensive research using data obtained from photo documentation, meetings, artists, painters and NGOs in Shantiniketan.
The brainstorming session was headed by US Consul General Craig Hall and about 15 students from Massachusetts Institute of Technolgy (MIT) participated. The students from Indian Institute Technology – Kharagpur (IIT-K) were primarily research scholars and students pursuing masters in architecture and town planning.
MIT Professor Bish Sanyal said that “the project was a joint effort of IIT-K and MIT to think about how to protect the historical heritage of Shantiniketan, middle-sized town facing pressure of economic and spatial growth.
The major issue is the preservation of a cultural legacy and historical heritage in a mid-sized town like Shantiniketan. Many analysis and reports would be generated in the next four to six month to carry out the task.