New Delhi, Sept. 19: Getting foreign faculty and students, linking science to developing new products and offering professional counselling to students will be the priorities of Sourav Pal, who has been appointed director of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata.

"My priority will be to get international students and faculty. This is key to enhancing ranking. The faculty may be recruited for a short-term period," Pal, a professor of chemistry at IIT Bombay, told The Telegraph.

Pal said IISER Kolkata was one of the top such institutes in the country and had good research publications. However, the research work has to be taken to the market by manufacturing new products, he said.

Pal, who has served as director of the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune, said IISER Kolkata could start an incubation centre to focus on using the research results to manufacture various products for the benefit of society.

"Some of the IITs have already started incubation centres. IISER Kolkata can start a centre to work on patenting the research and converting them to products. The idea is to link science to products," Pal said.

Against the backdrop of the suicide of a Dalit student at the institute in May, Pal said he would strengthen professional counselling for students who often get stressed.

"Every institute has to have professional counsellors. I will strengthen it," he said.

Pal is likely to take charge by October-end. The directors have been appointed for five years. R.N. Mukherjee completed his term at IISER Kolkata recently.

A search panel headed by human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar had shortlisted candidates for the post of directors of the IISERs, known for the Bachelor of Science and Master of Sciences (BS-MS) course.

K.N. Ganesh, who is director of IISER Pune, will take over as director of IISER Tirupati. K.V. Ramana Chary from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research will take charge of IISER Barhampur.

Debi P. Sarkar, a professor at Delhi University's department of biotechnology, has taken over as director of IISER Mohali while Jayant B. Udgaonkar from the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, has been appointed director of IISER Pune.

The HRD ministry has also appointed chairpersons of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) in Ranchi, Shillong, Trichy and Jammu. Corporate honchos and industrialists have been chosen for the posts.

Pravin Shankar Pandiya, chairman of the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, has been made chairman of IIM Ranchi. Sisir Bajoria, a Calcutta-based businessman, is chairman of IIM Shillong.

Jalaj Dani, president (international) of Asian Paints, has been appointed chairman of IIM Trichy. Sriram Dandekar, vice-chairman and executive director of Camlin, is chairman of IIM Jammu.