Ram Ramaswamy is an Indian physicist whose work cuts across disciplinary boundaries. A leading complex systems scientist, his research has largely centered on nonlinear dynamics, statistical physics, and computational biology. After earning his PhD from Princeton University, he returned to India, first joining the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research before spending most of his career at Jawaharlal Nehru University, where he was part of both the School of Physical Sciences and the School of Computational and Integrative Sciences until his retirement in 2018. He later served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad and has held numerous visiting and honorary professorships. Currently, he is an honorary professor in the Department of Physical Sciences at IISER Berhampur and holds the D. D. Kosambi Chair in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Goa. Ramaswamy is a fellow of the World Academy of Sciences and a fellow and former president of the Indian Academy of Sciences, where he also founded the journal Dialogue: Science, Scientists and Society. Across his career, he has consistently championed academic freedom and more inclusive, equitable approaches to science education.

In this wide-ranging InterDialogue, we discuss Ramaswamy’s contributions to chaos theory, self-organized criticality, and the synchronization of stochastic systems, along with his influential role in shaping nonlinear science in India. The conversation also explores the broader social responsibilities of scientists, particularly within public universities, including teaching, mentorship, and public communication. We delve into his sustained efforts to advance gender equity in Indian science, beginning with Lilavati’s Daughters, a landmark volume he co-edited featuring the voices of nearly one hundred women scientists. Other topics include improving accessibility in science education for students with disabilities and his current work on a biography of the influential Indian thinker D. D. Kosambi. The discussion opens with reflections on the importance of public research universities and science in Indian society.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

2:51 – Science and social responsibility

8:53 – Individual responsibility, brain drain, and mentorship

15:21 – Ramaswamy’s career and experience in Indian academia

22:55 – Fostering gender equity in Indian academia

27:12 – Familial and societal pressures on individual career choice

32:33 – Tracking the impact of Lilavati’s Daughters

36:49 – Accessible science education for disabled people

44:18 – Social and technological benefits of addressing structural inequities

48:16 – Emerging technologies for accessible science education

54:16 – Ramaswamy’s research and interdisciplinary scholarship

59:08 – Moving from TIFR to JNU

1:04:40 – Ramaswamy’s research: synchrony, complex systems, and computational biology

1:13:11 – Brain brain and defeatism in Indian academia

1:16:00 – Ramaswamy’s current book project

1:20:39 – Thoughts on the future and maintaining balance in life