Research and Development
Although the activities of ISC have been enshrined in the Statute, the means of fulfilling the same have been revised over the years to meet changing needs and emerging challenges witnessed in the sericulture and silk industry. However, such needs and requirements were discussed in detail in the Governing Council Meetings (Conference) of ISC before adoption.
Research and Development (R&D) is one of the important activities of ISC. Although, ISC do not have its own research programmes or activities so far, it played an active role by facilitating to collaborate among the reputed R&D institutions of the world to conceive and undertake specific research programmes. The details are:
- Facilitate undertaking research programmes concerning sericulture science and silkworm as a biological model in many R&D labs of the world.
- Dissemination of innovations and findings from the R&D programmes among ISC member countries for improving the productivity and quality of silk.
- Organization of training to scientists in advanced areas of research, paving the way for innovations and techniques.
- Genetic resources of silkworm and mulberry were exchanged among Member Countries for enhancing the silk production.
- The scientists deputed by ISC worked as advisors in few of the sericulture research programmes implemented in India, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Italy, Bulgaria, etc.
- A major sericultural research documentation centre was set up in ISC which is complimented each year with books on sericulture and specialized journals published worldwide. Presently, more than 20,000 index cards from the period of 18th Century are available in the documentation centre located in the ISC HQs.
Future Plans
- Take up multi-institute wise collaborative research programmes among the R&D institutes of Member Countries and reputed R&D labs of the world.
- Aim to improve the productivity and quality of silk through coordinated research and explore the use of silk as a material and silkworm as a biological model in frontier areas.
- R&D efforts to document the traditional silk designs of the world and its integration with present day product choice and designs.
- Aggregation of dispersed genetic resources for furthering the research thereby contributing productivity improvement.
- Source research project funds from international funding agencies for taking up research programmes under the aegis of ISC.
Are you interested?
Interested institutions or individual scientists aspiring to undertake meaningful research in sericulture science and frontier areas using silkworm may write to the Secretary General, ISC along with their conceived idea for forging collaboration.
