Tirupati: Tirupati will host the international conference ‘Science, Technology and Applications of Rare Earths’ (ICSTAR-2025) from April 21 to 23. The event is jointly organized by the Department of Physics at Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) and the Department of Biotechnology at Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam (SPMVV), in collaboration with the Rare Earth Association of India.

SVU Vice Chancellor Prof. Ch Appa Rao announced that around 200 delegates from India and abroad are expected to attend, with several parallel sessions planned over the three days. The conference aims to highlight the growing importance of rare earth elements in sectors like electronics and renewable energy, encouraging collaboration between academia and industry while positioning Tirupati as a hub for scientific dialogue.

The conference will be convened by Prof. B Devaprasad Raju (SVU, Physics) and Prof. N John Sushma (SPMVV, Biotechnology). The inaugural session begins at 9:30 am on April 21 at the Indira Priyadarshini Auditorium, SPMVV.

Distinguished guests include SPMVV Vice Chancellor Prof. V Uma, Vikrama Simhapuri University VC Prof. Allam Srinivasa Rao, Prof. Jakrapong Kaikhao from Thailand, and Prof. Mitra D Jamal from Indonesia. Also present at the press briefing were Rare Earth Association of India Secretary Dr. MLP Reddy, Vice President Dr. CK Jayashankar, SVU Science College Principal Prof. Padmavati, and professors RP Vijayalakshmi and PC Venkateswarlu.