Moodbidri: The inaugural ceremony of two-day international conference on ‘Advances in Manufacturing, Materials and Energy Engineering' (ICon MMEE 2018) jointly being organized by department of Mechanical Engineering, Mangalore Institute of Technology & Engineering, Moodbidri and Binghamton University, New York was held at MITE campus, Moodbidri.

The event brought together technical experts, academicians, scientists, researchers from various academic institutions and industry experts with the objective of keeping abreast the researchers about the recent trends in research and developments in the diversified fields of Mechanical Engineering. The conference provided a common platform to academicians, research scholars, scientists and industry experts to share their research experiences, findings and futuristic ideas. Furthermore the conference will boost more academic and industrial interactions and promote collaborative research.

Dr Krishnaswami (Hari) Shrihari, dean and professor, Binghamton University – State University of New York was the guest of honor and inaugurated the international conference. Further in his inaugural address, he threw light on the need to integrate the knowledge of compartmentalized disciplines such as Materials, Manufacturing, Energy Engineering etc. so as to achieve rapid technological progress. Also he emphasized on the fact that entrepreneurship in India has its genesis in establishment of banking institutions by quoting the major banks in the region.

Rajesh Chouta, chairman, Rajalaxmi Education Trust, Mangaluru presided over the function and stressed on the roles played by conferences in exchange of knowledge and technological advancements through interactions between researchers from different parts of the globe in his presidential address.

The inaugural ceremony was followed by keynote speeches by Dr Krishnaswami (Hari) Shrihari, dean and professor, Binghamton University, Dr K P Ramachandran, associate dean (Postgraduate Studies & Research), Caledonian College of Engineering, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, Dr Paul R Chiarot, associate professor, Binghamton University, State University of New York, D. Mohammad T Khasawneh, professor and chair, Systems Science & Industrial Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton and Dr Shuichi Torii, professor, Kumamoto University, Japan.

Dr G L Easwar Prasad, principal, MITE, briefed the gathering on the roadmap to success of the institution over a decade since its inception. Dr C R Rajashekhar, vice-principal and head of Mechanical Engineering Department welcomed the dignitaries and Dr Lokesha, organizing secretary of the conference proposed the vote of thanks.
Mangalore Institute of Technology & Engineering has been consistently organizing conferences every year by inviting academicians and technical experts across the globe with the vision of providing world class milieu for students and research scholars.

MITE signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Binghamton University, New York in 2016 at the Binghamton University. With the agreement the two institutions agree to "foster advancement in teaching, research, academic, collaboration and cultural understanding and to create avenues for enhancing learner experience at both entities, as well as strengthen both entities by finding ways of combining their complementary resources and strengths.” A world-class institution, Binghamton University offers students a broad, interdisciplinary education with an international perspective and one of the most vibrant research institutions of USA. Ranked among the elite public universities in USA, Binghamton challenges students academically, not financially, in its unique, best-of-both world’s environment.