COEP Tech inaugurates the Professor Thomas Kailath Centre of Excellence for Information and Communication Technology
On the occasion of Engineers’ Day, 15 September 2026, COEP Technological University inaugurated the Professor Thomas Kailath Centre of Excellence for Information and Communication Technology, dedicated to the distinguished COEP alumnus and globally renowned scientist Professor Thomas Kailath.
Padma Bhushan Professor Thomas Kailath, a 1956 batch alumnus of COEP Tech from the Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, is the Hitachi America Professor of Engineering, Emeritus at Stanford University and a recipient of the National Medal of Science award- the highest US honour for science and innovation and IEEE Medal of Honour. A pioneer in communication engineering and information theory, he is a Distinguished Alumnus of COEP Technological University.
The Centre aims to strengthen advanced research, interdisciplinary collaboration, entrepreneurship, and technology-driven innovation, while encouraging students to pursue fundamental research and build strong technological foundations.
The Centre was inaugurated by Padma Vibhushan Dr. Vijay Kelkar, distinguished alumnus of COEP Tech, in the presence of Prof. Dr. Anuradha Luther Maitra, wife of Prof. Thomas Kailath and eminent scholar of economics; Prof. Sunil Bhirud, Vice-Chancellor; Dr. D. N. Sonawane, Registrar; and Dr. Vibha Vyas, Head, Department of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering.
Dr. Vijay Kelkar highlighted the entrepreneurial and innovative legacy of Prof. Kailath and emphasised the importance of fundamental research and mathematical and algorithmic foundations in advancing technology. Prof. Dr. Anuradha Luther Maitra reflected on Prof. Kailath’s journey from COEP to becoming a pioneer in communication engineering and information theory, while Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sunil Bhirud expressed confidence that the Centre would inspire students to carry forward COEP’s tradition of excellence in research and innovation.
The programme was conducted under the guidance of Prof. Dinanath Kholkar, Director, Pune International Centre, with special support from Sandeep Johri, Jaideep Ranade and Prof. K. V. S. Hari. Dr. Megha Yannawar and Yuga Kadam compered the programme, and Dr. Radhika Joshi proposed the vote of thanks.
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