Pingala Interactions in Computing

Flagship research networking event of ACM India
3 February 2024 – 6 February 2024
Hosted by Infosys Mysore Campus

About Pingala Interactions in Computing

On the auspicious occasion of India's Independence Day (15 August), ACM India Council is pleased to announce the launch of its flagship research networking event “Pingala Interactions in Computing (PIC).” PIC will bring together some of the best minds in Computing over four days annually to network in an interactive and immersive atmosphere and promote scientific exchange of the highest quality.

Named after Pingala, ancient Indian mathematician and the creator of Binary Numeral System, PIC will comprise 50 young Indian and international researchers. The objective is to promote interaction with eminent laureates in Computing, to derive inspiration and motivation from role models and peers, and exchange their research ideas within this elite company. The presence of eminent laureates and participants selected after a highly competitive selection process promises to make this one of the most sought after and respected networking events for young Computing researchers, organized in India. Inspired by the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and the Heidelberg Laureate Forum (HLF), PIC is created with a distinct Indian differentiation, in a relaxed but concentrated environment as a starting point of a sustained interaction, paving way for significant results in the medium term.

PIC 2024: When and Where

The inaugural edition of PIC will take place 3 – 6 February, 2024 at the fabulous Mysore campus of Infosys. We thank Infosys for graciously hosting this prestigious event for ACM India.

PIC 2024: Laureates

We are honored to have Prof. Robert Metcalfe (Turing Award), Prof. Dame Wendy Hall (DBE, ACM Fellow), and Dr. Yael Tauman Kalai (ACM Prize in Computing) join us for this inaugural ACM India Pingala Interactions on Computing as international laureates, as well as Prof. Jayant Haritsa (Infosys Prize, Bhatnagar Prize, Swarna Jayanti Fellowship, ACM Fellow), Prof. Saket Saurabh (Early Career Research Award, Bhatnagar Prize), Prof. Shweta Agrawal (ACM India Outstanding Contributions in Computing by a Woman Award, Swarna Jayanti Fellowship), and Dr. Partha Pratim Talukdar (ACM India Early Career Researcher Award) as Indian laureates.

PIC 2024: Participant Eligibility

The participants will comprise 50 young researchers from India and abroad, carefully selected by an eminent jury. Students currently enrolled in PhD program in a Computing discipline (thesis topic identified) and active research professionals (from academia or industry) with successful PhD defense date on or after 1st January 2019 will be eligible to apply as young researchers. For international applicants, their Bachelor’s degree cannot be from India. The India-international split of participants will be 50-50 by design, and while selecting the participants within the two categories, we will be seeking parity in industry-academia, gender, and geography. Thanks to a generous travel grant from ACM, we will provide travel support for the participants, up to USD1200 for the international participants and up to INR16000 for the Indian participants to supplement what they cannot obtain from other sources such as their institution or organization. The board and lodging will also be covered by the event, serving as an incentive for prospective applicants without worrying about the financial aspects of participation in this forum.

PIC 2024: Tentative Program

PIC 2024 will feature a mix of lectures, interactive panels/fireside chats, poster sessions, breakouts, speed mentoring sessions, a social event, and an excursion to the historic city of Mysore.

PIC being an international event with an Indian differentiation, the program will also include a session to address uniquely Indian problems/challenges,discuss India-international collaboration case-studies, showcasing some shining examples of researchers coming together to achieve strong results.

PIC 2024: Website and Application Form

The PIC website with further details will be released later this week. The application form will be available towards the end of August 2023, with a deadline in the last week of September 2023. Selections will be announced by the end of October 2023. Stay tuned for the website and application form.