Arnab is a postdoctoral researcher at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India, in the field of space geodesy. His PhD is based on simulations of VLBI networks with a particular focus on the development of Indian VLBI infrastructure, in a close cooperation with TU Wien. In parallel, he collaborated closely with ETH Zurich and worked on predicting variations in the Earth’s rotation rate using machine learning and deep learning methods.
Arnab has not yet been involved in the IAG ECS network, but he would like to contribute to it in the future. His experiences at TU Wien and ETH Zurich, along with his participation in several international conferences, have shown him that early-career scientists often need guidance and orientation when entering the global geodesy community. Through his involvement in the ECS network, he would like to contribute to this support system. He aims to serve as an initial point of contact for early-career colleagues from India, helping them connect with the international geodesy community and become aware of opportunities for collaboration and engagement.
Arnab’s opinion on ECS challenges
From my experience, in India the term geodesy is often associated mainly with GNSS, remote sensing, and photogrammetry, while the fundamental principles of geodesy are rarely taught at the undergraduate level. As a result, students encounter the concepts only when they begin their PhD research, and a considerable amount of time in the early stages of doctoral work is spent understanding the theoretical foundations. Furthermore, the limited exposure to core geodetic concepts during earlier academic training makes it difficult for students and early-career researchers from India to engage in international collaborations. Even when such collaborations are established, additional time is often needed to adapt to the advanced methodological frameworks commonly used in international geodesy research. Finally, governmental organizations and institutions in India are often not fully aware of the broader scientific and societal importance of geodesy. As a result, dedicated positions related to geodesy are limited, which creates uncertainty for early-career researchers considering long-term careers in this field.
Find out more about Arnab: https://home.iitk.ac.in/~alaha/