On completing the ‘Visiting Professor’ assignment, at the Department of Botany, Goa University (March-Oct 2015) .......

Yesterday was the last working day of my brief post-retirement assignment as Visiting Professor at the Department of Botany, Goa University. During past 8 months, I partly-shared teaching of mycology and plant pathology paper, theory and practicals, to Part 1 M.Sc. Botany students of Semester I (2015-16) and worked for the Asian Mycological Congress 2015 which we successfully organized during 7-10 October 2015. I enjoyed both activities.

Last week, on the eve of my readying to leave the University, Prof B. F. Rodrigues, Head of Botany Department, and Prof. M.K. Janarthanam, Dean of Faculty of Life Sciences and Environment, convened an informal meeting of students, research scholars and staff members, primarily to express appreciations to the student-volunteers who worked so hard for the success of Asian Mycological Congress 2015; the meet also expressed volumes of goodwill to me....! I am thankful to the staff and students for their kindnesses.

Post-retirement, from 2012 to date, I spent time partly at Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand, and a brief period in the Department of Botany, Goa University, both as Visiting Professor. Not only I participated in the teaching of mycology paper to graduate students but also assisted the research scholars with guidance on fungal taxonomy and correction of research papers. This is what I wanted to do until attaining 65. Therefore, I am truly happy....1

The success of Asian Mycological Congress 2015 was largely due to a ‘team-show’ by staff and students of Goa University. Everyone worked so hard and cohesively and the event turned out to be a grand success from its high-rated scientific content point of view. Delegates came from far and near Asian countries, Europe, Canada and USA, met each other and exchanged scientific knowledge on biology of fungi. Such high-powered scientific meetings are of immense impact on young and budding botanists (mycologists). Towering personalities in the field of  mycology from overseas such as Drs. Keith Seifert (Agriculture-Canada), Pedro Crous (Director-CBS, The Netherlands), John Dighton, Gordon W. Beakes, E.B. Gareth Jones; Peter Buchanan (New Zealand), Akira Suzuki, Toru Okuda, and many more from Japan; and renowned Indian mycologists, viz. Profs B.N. Johri (Pantnagar), C. Monoharachary (Hyderabad), D.J. Bagyaraj (Bengaluru), T. Satyanarayana (New Delhi), T.S. Suryanarayanan (Chennai), K.R. Sridhar (Mangalore), Sunil Deshmukh (New Delhi), T.N. Lakhanpal (HP), R.N. Kharwar (Varanasi), D.K. Upreti (Lucknow), R.C. Upadhyay (Solan), Durgadas Kasbekar (Hyderabad), Anant Padmanabhan (IMTECH), R.G. Bagool (Mumbai), K.V. Sankaran (KFRI), S.K. Singh and Rajesh Kumar (MACS-Pune), P.Y. Prakash (Manipal) and many more, descended to Goa for the AMC-2015. It was certainly a rare opportunity to the students of Botany and Microbiology of Goa University, meeting and interacting with the experts for 4 days.   

I enjoyed teaching and research, the most. Teaching and imparting knowledge is a noble profession. It is my firm convection that, given a correct motivation and continued training, our students get transformed into an excellent batch of credible human resource. Our students not only have the ability but also the interest. I am very happy with them and wish all students of botany the very best in their future. The Department of Botany Goa University has a good number of  dedicated, excellent research scholars. They will bring laurels to the Department. I have noticed that both the Registrar and the Vice Chancellor are supportive to all academic and research programmes of the Department. I felt deeply honoured having spent some time working at my own department at Goa University, for a brief second stint. It was truly a delightful and productive academic period. I wish the Department all well in its future endeavours.....

D. Jayarama Bhat