The Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (IBAB), Bangalore and Singapore-based Amdon Consulting Pte. Ltd., have teamed-up to introduce training programmes for school-college teachers and educators in life sciences/biotechnology where short-duration workshops in basic and advanced concepts in the field will be organised.

The first training module is scheduled for launch in February 2003 and will enrol 20-25 teachers. The duration of each course is envisaged to be 3-days. It will include theory and practical laboratory work. The Vision Group on Biotechnology headed by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is confident that the Government of Karnataka would support the initiative. Amdon is also keen to extend its expertise at the school level where it hopes to replicate the highly successful Singapore model for school children.

"There has been an increasing emphasis in India to train manpower for life sciences and biotechnology, apart from acquainting children and general public about the subject. With this dire need in the new direction of biotech education, Karnataka's Vision Group on Biotechnology have encouraged the IBAB-Amdon collaboration," stated Shaw.

Schools and colleges are also offering biotechnology courses. The Indian Central School Education Board (ICSE) introduced Biotechnology as an optional subject. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has recognized a large number of B.Sc. and M.Sc. Biotechnology courses at various Colleges. However, what is now emerging is an urgent need for trained teachers if we are to provide quality education in this emerging domain of modern biology and Biotechnology, added Shaw.

Singapore-based Amdon Consulting imparts education and training in life sciences and biotechnology in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Over 3000 hours of training programs for around 20,000 participants was organised. There is a collection of over 100 biotech programmes in genetics & genetic engineering, cell biology, natural product chemistry, microbiology, agricultural biotechnology, forensic biotechnology, environmental biotechnology and food biotechnology. It is proposed that whilst Amdon will provide these experts for the first few programmes, local resources will be developed in due course.