Kumar Bhattacharyya, Baron Bhattacharyya: Difference between revisions

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{{Orphan|date=February 2021}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
 
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
| honorific_prefix = [[The Right Honourable]]
| name        = The Lord Bhattacharyya
| name        = The Lord Bhattacharyya
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE|FRS|FREng|FIMechE|size=100%}}
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE|FRS|FREng|FIMechE|Kt|size=100%}}, [[Padma Bhushan]]
| image      = Official portrait of Lord Bhattacharyya crop 3.jpg
| image      = Official portrait of Lord Bhattacharyya crop 2.jpg
| alt        =  
| office      = [[Member of the House of Lords]]<br>[[Lord Temporal]]
| caption    =  
| term_start  = 3 June 2004
| term_end    = 1 March 2019<br />[[Life peerage]]
| birth_name  = Sushanta Kumar Bhattacharyya
| birth_name  = Sushanta Kumar Bhattacharyya
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|df=yes|1940|06|06}}
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|df=yes|1940|06|06}}<ref name=whoswho/>
| birth_place = [[Bangalore]], [[Kingdom of Mysore]], [[British Raj]]<br><small>(now Bengaluru, [[Karnataka]], [[India]])</small>
| birth_place = [[Bangalore]], [[Kingdom of Mysore]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]]
| death_date  = {{death date and given age|2019|03|01|78|df=y}} <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Death-date and age|Month DD, YYYY|Month DD, YYYY}} (death date then birth date) -->
| death_date  = {{death date and given age|2019|03|01|78|df=y}}
| death_place =
| death_place = [[Birmingham]], United Kingdom
| death_cause =
| party      = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
| party      = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
| alma_mater  = [[Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur]] (BTech)<br> [[University of Birmingham]] (MSc, PhD)
| alma_mater  = [[Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur]] ([[Bachelor of Technology|BTech]])<br /> [[University of Birmingham]] ([[Master of Science|MS]], [[Doctor of Philosophy|PhD]])
| residence  = [[Birmingham]], UK
| website     = [https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/about/chairman WMG's Founder Page]
| nationality =
| known_for  = Founder of [[Warwick Manufacturing Group]]
| other_names =
| awards =
| website = {{URL|https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/about/chairman}}
| known_for  = [[Warwick Manufacturing Group]]
}}
}}


'''Sushanta Kumar Bhattacharyya, Baron Bhattacharyya''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|CBE|FRS|FREng|FIMechE}}<ref name="List of Fellows">{{cite web |title=List of Fellows |url=http://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/people-council-committees/the-fellowship/list-of-fellows |website=[[Royal Academy of Engineering]] |accessdate=2 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="royal">{{cite web |url=https://royalsociety.org/people/kumar-bhattacharyya-11080/ |title=Kumar Bhattacharyya |website=[[Royal Society]] |accessdate=2 January 2018|author=|year=2014}} One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from the royalsociety.org website where: {{quote|“All text published under the heading 'Biography' on Fellow profile pages is available under [[Creative Commons license|Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License]].” --{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161111170346/https://royalsociety.org/about-us/terms-conditions-policies/|title=Royal Society Terms, conditions and policies|date=2016-11-11}}}}</ref> (6 June 1940<ref name=whoswho>{{Who's Who | author=| surname = Bhattacharyya  | othernames = Baron, (Sushantha Kumar Bhattacharyya) | id = U7480 | year = 2007 | doi =10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U7480 | edition = online [[Oxford University Press]]|location=Oxford}} {{subscription required}}</ref> – 1 March 2019) was a [[British people|British]]-[[India]]n engineer, educator and government advisor.<ref name="parliament.uk">{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-bhattacharyya/3672 |title=Lord Bhattacharyya |website=UK Parliament |accessdate=2 January 2018}}</ref>
'''Sushanta Kumar Bhattacharyya, Baron Bhattacharyya''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|CBE|FRS|FREng|FIMechE|Kt|}}<ref name="List of Fellows">{{cite web |title=List of Fellows |url=http://www.raeng.org.uk/about-us/people-council-committees/the-fellowship/list-of-fellows |website=[[Royal Academy of Engineering]] |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="royal">{{cite web |url=https://royalsociety.org/people/kumar-bhattacharyya-11080/ |title=Kumar Bhattacharyya |website=[[Royal Society]] |access-date=2 January 2018|year=2014}} One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from the royalsociety.org website where: {{quote|“All text published under the heading 'Biography' on Fellow profile pages is available under [[Creative Commons license|Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License]].” --{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161111170346/https://royalsociety.org/about-us/terms-conditions-policies/|title=Royal Society Terms, conditions and policies|date=2016-11-11}}}}</ref> (6 June 1940<ref name=whoswho>{{Who's Who | author=| surname = Bhattacharyya  | othernames = Baron, (Sushantha Kumar Bhattacharyya) | id = U7480 | year = 2007 | doi =10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U7480 | edition = online [[Oxford University Press]]|location=Oxford}} {{subscription required}}</ref> – 1 March 2019) was a [[British Indian|British-Indian]] engineer, educator and government advisor.<ref name="parliament.uk">{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-bhattacharyya/3672 |title=Lord Bhattacharyya |website=UK Parliament |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref> In 1980, he became Professor of Manufacturing Systems at the [[University of Warwick]] and founded the [[Warwick Manufacturing Group]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/people/chairman/ |title=Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya: Chairman of WMG |website=[[University of Warwick]] |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref> In 2004 he was made a [[Life Peer]] and became a member of the [[House of Lords]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/about/chairman/|title=Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya :: Chairman of WMG|website=Warwick.ac.uk|access-date=9 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/9c408956-f51e-11e2-b4f8-00144feabdc0|title=Engine for change: Industrialist and educator Lord Bhattacharyya|date=2 August 2013|website=Financial Times|access-date=9 November 2018}}</ref>
 
==Early life and education==
Kumar Bhattacharyya was born in [[Bangalore]],<ref name="Kharagpur_Lords">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1040501/asp/nation/story_3195426.asp |first=Roy |last=Amit |title=Kharagpur to House of Lords  |date=1 May 2004 |newspaper=The Telegraph - Calcutta |access-date=23 March 2018}}</ref> the elder son of Sudhir Kumar Bhattacharyya (1909–1987) and Hemanalini Chakraborty. Of Bengali origin, the Bhattacharyyas were a ''[[zamindar]]i'' family from [[Dhaka District]] (then in the [[Bengal Presidency]] of British India and now in [[Bangladesh]]).<ref name="Sudhir_Kumar_Bhattacharyya">{{Cite journal | last1 = Aditya | first1 = S. | url =http://www.insaindia.res.in/BM/BM20_9516.pdf  | title = Sudhir Kumar Bhattacharyya 1909–1987 | journal = Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy| volume = 1 | pages = 194–204 | year = 1987 }}</ref> At the time, his father, a distinguished professor of physical chemistry and subsequently Fellow of the [[Indian National Science Academy]], was a professor at the [[Indian Institute of Science]] in Bangalore, where Bhattacharyya spent the first 12 years of his life. In 1952, upon his father's appointment as head of the chemistry department at the new [[Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur]],<ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/jun/19/theobserver.observerbusiness6 |first=Oliver |last=Morgan |title=A Brahmin of business |date=19 June 2005 |newspaper=[[The Observer]] |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref> the family moved to Kharagpur.
 
Bhattacharyya studied Mechanical Engineering at the [[Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur]], taking his [[Bachelor of Technology]] (BTech) degree in 1960.<ref name=whoswho/> The following year, he moved to Britain, where he worked for six years as a graduate apprentice at [[Lucas Industries]], a large British manufacturing company.<ref name="theguardian.com"/> During this time, he studied at the [[University of Birmingham]], where he was awarded a [[Master of Science]] (MSc) degree in engineering production and management, followed by a [[PhD]] in engineering production in 1970.<ref name=bphd>{{cite thesis|title=Characteristics of wheel wear in precision surface grinding|first= Kumar|last=Bhattacharyya|year=1970|degree=PhD|id={{copac|45170618}}|url=https://birmingham-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=44BIR_ALMA_DS21109712760004871&context=L&vid=44BIR_VU1&search_scope=CSCOP_44BIR_DEEP&tab=local&lang=en_US|website=Bham.ac.uk|publisher=University of Birmingham}}</ref> While completing his PhD at Birmingham, he was appointed as a lecturer and began the process of establishing a manufacturing education programme for industry there.<ref name="theguardian.com"/>
 
==Career and research==
In 1980, he moved to the University of Warwick and, with the support of Vice-Chancellor [[Jack Butterworth, Baron Butterworth|Jack Butterworth]], he founded WMG ([[Warwick Manufacturing Group]]) of which he served as chairman until his death. WMG is now one of the largest academic departments of the university and is known for its collaborative research and education programmes with industry.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/kumar-bhattacharyya/150799.article |title=Kumar Bhattacharyya |date=24 March 2000 |magazine=[[Times Higher Education]] |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref> During this time, he was instrumental in brokering significant partnerships for UK manufacturing including the takeover of [[Jaguar Land Rover]] by Indian firm [[Tata Motors]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00mdqrp |title=Jaguar Land Rover "at start of great revival" |date=11 December 2011 |website=[[BBC One]], [[The Politics Show]] West Midlands |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-16130932 |title=JLR at start of a 'great revival' |date=11 December 2011 |website=BBC News |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref> in 2008 and the investment in the [[National Automotive Innovation Centre]] at the University of Warwick.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/business-news/jaguar-land-rover-invest-45m-4310324 |title=Jaguar Land Rover backs hi-tech campus with £45m |first=Graeme |last=Brown |date=14 June 2013 |newspaper=[[Birmingham Post]] |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref>


In 1980, he became Professor of Manufacturing Systems at the [[University of Warwick]] and founded the [[Warwick Manufacturing Group]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/people/chairman/ |title=Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya: Chairman of WMG |website=[[University of Warwick]] |accessdate=2 January 2018}}</ref> In 2004 he was made a [[Life Peer]] and became a member of the [[House of Lords]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/about/chairman/|title=Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya :: Chairman of WMG|website=Warwick.ac.uk|accessdate=9 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/9c408956-f51e-11e2-b4f8-00144feabdc0|title=Engine for change: Industrialist and educator Lord Bhattacharyya|date=2 August 2013|website=Financial Times|accessdate=9 November 2018}}</ref>
Lord Bhattacharyya's contribution to innovation in academia and industry led to several prime ministerial visits to WMG. [[Margaret Thatcher]] called Bhattacharyya "a true pioneer" in a 1990 speech opening WMG's Advanced Technology Centre.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/107987|title=Speech opening Warwick University Advanced Technology Centre {{!}} Margaret Thatcher Foundation|website=Margaretthatcher.org|language=en|access-date=2018-03-31}}</ref> A decade later, Labour Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] said WMG was "an outstanding example of combining academic excellence with industrial relevance."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/ne1000000081579/|title=Tony Blair visits University of Warwick|website=Warwick.ac.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-03-31}}</ref> In a 2007 speech, Blair's successor, [[Gordon Brown]], said that WMG "provides a prime example of how the knowledge created in our universities can be transferred to make a difference in the real world".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/mediacentre/wmgnews/gordon_brown_unveils/|title=WMG :: Gordon Brown unveils foundation stone of Warwick Digital Lab|website=Warwick.ac.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-03-31}}</ref>


Bhattacharyya died on 1 March 2019 following a short illness, aged 78.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mullen |first1=Enda |title=Professor Lord Bhattacharyya dies aged 78 |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/lord-bhattacharyya-dies-warwick-coventry-15907166 |work=coventrytelegraph |date=1 March 2019}}</ref>
In 2016, Prime Minister [[Theresa May]] visited WMG with Chancellor [[Philip Hammond]] as part of her government's development of a UK Industrial Strategy.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/government-wants-coventry-jaguar-land-12952360|title=Government wants Coventry & JLR at heart of global car industry|last=Gilbert|first=Simon|date=2017-04-28|website=Coventrytelegraph.net|access-date=2018-03-31}}</ref>
 
Bhattacharyya was appointed a [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[1997 New Year Honours]]<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=54625 |date=31 December 1996 |page=8 |supp=y}}</ref> and [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in 2003.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=57391 |date=24 August 2004 |page=10694 |nolink=yes}}</ref> On 3 June 2004, he was created a [[life peer]] as Baron Bhattacharyya<ref name=whoswho/> of [[Moseley]] in the [[West Midlands (county)|County of West Midlands]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=57312 |date=9 June 2004 |page=7176 |nolink=yes}}</ref> He sat on the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] benches in the [[House of Lords]].<ref name="parliament.uk" />
 
In 2014, he was elected a [[Fellow of the Royal Society]] (FRS).<ref name=royal/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/mediacentre/wmgnews/?newsItem=094d43f54598ed7a0145b738169b0602 |title=Professor Lord Bhattacharyya elected as a Fellow of The Royal Society |date=1 May 2014 |website=University of Warwick |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref> He was also a [[Fellow]] of the [[Royal Academy of Engineering]]<ref name="List of Fellows"/> and a number of other professional bodies including the [[Institution of Engineering and Technology (professional society)|Institution of Engineering and Technology]], [[Institution of Mechanical Engineers]], [[Indian National Academy of Engineering]] and the [[Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport]].
 
Kumar Bhattacharyya was a past member of the UK [[Council for Science and Technology]] and a past board member of [[Advantage West Midlands]], the West Midlands [[Regional Development Agency]] (RDA).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2002-11-07.79846.h |title=Hansard Written Answers: Advantage West Midlands |date=7 November 2002 |website=[[TheyWorkForYou]] |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref> He also served as a scientific adviser to the government of South Africa. He sat on the Policy Advisory Council of the [[Institute for Public Policy Research]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ippr.org/about/people/staff/kumar-bhattacharyya |title=Kumar Bhattacharyya |website=[[Institute for Public Policy Research]] |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref> and served on the [[National Consumer Council]] from 1990 to 1993.
 
===House of Lords===
Kumar Bhattacharyya sat on the Labour benches in the [[House of Lords]]. His focus was on policy areas such as business and industry, economy and finance, education, international affairs and science and technology. Throughout his career, he was a passionate advocate for engineering innovation and the revival of British industry.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201213/ldhansrd/ldallfiles/peers/lord_hansard_3998_od.html |title=Hansard – Lords – Houses of Parliament – Archives (26 April 2013): Lord Bhattacharyya: Spoken material by date |website=UK Parliament |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref> [[Lord Baker of Dorking|Lord Baker]] paid tribute to his enormous contribution to technical education in the UK as "quite remarkable".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201415/ldhansrd/text/141023-0002.htm#14102379000676 |title=Lords Hansard text for 23 October 2014 (pt 0002) |website=UK Parliament |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref>
 
===Books===
In 2002, Andrew Lorenz wrote a book about Bhattacharyya's career and the growth of WMG, entitled ''Kumar Bhattacharyya: The Unsung Guru''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lorenz, Andrew.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/50526920|title=Kumar Bhattacharyya : the unsung guru|date=2002|publisher=Random House Business|isbn=0-7126-7244-3|location=London|oclc=50526920}}</ref>
 
===Awards and honours===
*1992: [[Doctor of the University]] (DUniv) awarded by [[University of Surrey]].
*1997: Awarded [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]] for Services to Industry and Technology; Honorary [[Doctor of Science|Doctorate of Science]] (DSc) awarded by [[Universiti Teknologi Malaysia|University of Technology, Malaysia]] (also holds Honorary Professorship).
*1998: Mensforth International Gold Medal for outstanding international contribution to manufacturing engineering and management&nbsp;– [[Institution of Electrical Engineers]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://conferences.theiet.org/nuffield/previous/1900/index.cfm |title=IET Viscount Nuffield/Mensforth Lecture |website=[[The Institution of Engineering and Technology]] |access-date=20 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227093156/http://conferences.theiet.org/nuffield/previous/1900/index.cfm |archive-date=27 February 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
*1999: Sir Robert Lawrence Award for Services to Logistics&nbsp;– Institute for Logistics and Transport.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ciltuk.org.uk/Events/AnnualAwards/TheSirRobertLawrenceAward.aspx |title=The Sir Robert Lawrence Award |website=[[Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport]] (UK) |access-date=2 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223124618/http://www.ciltuk.org.uk/Events/AnnualAwards/TheSirRobertLawrenceAward.aspx |archive-date=23 February 2014}}</ref>
*2002: [[Padma Bhushan]] awarded by President of India for services to Science and Technology.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://india.gov.in/myindia/padmabhushan_awards_list1.php?start=310 |title=Padma Bhushan Awardees |website=Government of India}}</ref>
*2003: [[Knight Bachelor|Knighthood]] for Services to Higher Education and Industry; Honorary [[Doctor of Business Administration]] (DBA) awarded by [[Hong Kong Polytechnic University]] (also holds honorary professorship).
*2004: Life Peer as Baron Bhattacharyya, of Moseley in the County of the West Midlands; Honorary [[Doctor of Engineering|D.Eng.]] awarded by [[University of Birmingham]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/senate/honorary-graduates-since-2000.pdf |title=Honorary Graduates of the University of Birmingham since 2000 |website=University of Birmingham |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref>
*2005: The Duncan Davies Medal for outstanding contribution to research and development in the UK&nbsp;– The Research and Development Society.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rdsoc.org/the-duncan-davies-medal |title=The Duncan Davies Medal |website=The Research & Development Society |access-date=12 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116085148/http://www.rdsoc.org/the-duncan-davies-medal |archive-date=16 November 2012 }}</ref>
*2008: Honorary Doctorate of Science (DSc) from [[IIT Kharagpur]].
*2011: Honorary Membership&nbsp;– [[Society of Manufacturing Engineers]] (SME) given for ability and stature, plus contribution of substantial skills and talent to accomplish the goals of the society.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sme.org/honorary-members/ |title=Honorary Members |website=[[Society of Manufacturing Engineers]] |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref>
*2013: Honorary DSc&nbsp;– [[IIT Bhubaneswar|Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar]], presented by the president of India.
*2014: Coventry Award of Merit for outstanding personal achievement in raising the status of UK engineering and manufacturing and for his service to the promotion of the University of Warwick and the City of [[Coventry]].
*2014: Elected as [[Fellow of The Royal Society]] for his contribution to engineering research and education.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://royalsociety.org/news/2014/new-fellows/ |title=Royal Society elects new Fellows |website=Royal Society |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref>
*2015: Made Honorary Freeman of the City of Coventry, alongside [[Ratan Tata]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/saviours-jaguar-land-rover-honoured-10128537 |title='Saviours of Jaguar Land Rover' honoured as Freemen of the City |first=Duncan |last=Gibbons |date=24 September 2015 |newspaper=[[Coventry Telegraph]] |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref>
*2016: WMG awarded a [[Regius Professorship]], Lord Bhattacharyya becoming [[Regius Professor]] of Manufacturing (Engineering).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/minister-for-the-constitution-presents-university-of-warwick-with-royal-warrant |title=Minister for the Constitution presents University of Warwick with Royal Warrant |website=UK Government |access-date=18 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.machinery-market.co.uk/news/14311/Major-award-for-Lord-Bhattacharyya |title=Major award for Lord Bhattacharyya |website=Machinery Market News |access-date=18 July 2017}}</ref>
*2017: Received the Great Wall Friendship Award,<ref name="china-13710710">{{cite news |url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/business/wmg-chairman-double-award-china-13710710 |title=WMG chairman 'surprised but honoured' by double award presentation in China |last=Mancarini |first=Leigh |date=3 October 2017 |newspaper=Coventry Telegraph |access-date=4 October 2017}}</ref> described as "Beijing's highest award for foreign experts"<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://en.people.cn/90002/95766/6537512.html |title=Foreign experts receive "Great Wall Friendship Award" |date=20 November 2008 |newspaper=[[People's Daily]] |access-date=4 October 2017}}</ref> from [[Mayor of Beijing|Beijing Acting Mayor]] Mr. Chen Jining on behalf of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality.
*2017: Received the [[Friendship Award (China)|China Friendship Award]], described as "China's highest honor granted to a foreigner"<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://english.gov.cn/state_council/vice_premiers/2017/09/30/content_281475894455306.html |title=50 foreigners win Friendship Award |date=30 September 2017 |newspaper=[[China Daily]] |access-date=4 October 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> from Vice-Premier [[Ma Kai]].<ref name="china-13710710"/>
*2018: Honorary [[Doctor of Philosophy|D.Phil.]] from the [[University of York]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.york.ac.uk/electronic-engineering/news/2018/university-of-york-to-award-honorary-degrees/|title=January 2018 University of York to award Honorary Degrees – Electronic Engineering, The University of York|website=York.ac.uk|language=EN|access-date=2018-01-22}}</ref>
*2018: Honorary Doctorate from the [[University of Science and Technology Beijing|University of Science and Technology, Beijing.]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.ustb.edu.cn/xinwendaodu/2018-06-29/68673.html|title=USTB 2018 student graduation ceremony and degree awarding ceremony|website=News.ustb.edu.cn|access-date=9 November 2018}}</ref>
*2018: Honorary Doctorate from the [[Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology]], [[Bhubaneswar]], [[Odisha]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/mediacentre/wmgnews/?newsItem=8a17841b65e801fc01661b4028557bfd|title=Professor Lord Bhattacharyya receives an honorary degree from Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology|date=2018-09-27|work=Shaping the future|access-date=2018-11-09|language=en-GB}}</ref>
*2018: Honorary Doctorate from the [[Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad|Indian Institute of Information Technology]], Allahabad.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/mediacentre/wmgnews/?newsItem=8a1785d865e8039f0165ecf1cb2e3174|title=Professor Lord Bhattacharyya receives an honorary degree from the Indian Institute of Technology|date=2018-09-18|work=Shaping the future|access-date=2018-11-09|language=en-GB}}</ref>
*2018: Awarded Zienkiewicz medal<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/mediacentre/wmgnews/?newsItem=8a17841b675a404c016764aae8771ba4|title=WMG Chairman delivers memorial lecture}}</ref> by [[Swansea University]] and delivered the Swansea University College of Engineering annual [[Olgierd Zienkiewicz|Zienkiewicz]] Lecture.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.swansea.ac.uk/engineering/zcce/zienkiewicz-lecture/|title=Zienkiewicz Lecture|website=www.swansea.ac.uk|access-date=2018-12-01}}</ref>
 
His nomination for the [[Royal Society]] reads:
 
"Kumar Bhattacharyya is the founder and leader of the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) whose mission is to improve the competitiveness of industry through innovative collaborative research, educational and knowledge transfer programmes WMG employs over 300 staff with a similar number seconded from industry. It has a global reputation in automotive research, the built environment, digital technology and healthcare systems. Kumar Bhattacharyya was the primary architect of the Integrated Graduate Development Scheme, now considered best practice in CPD by many Universities, and was the first to run the Eng Doc programme on similar principles. In 30 years, the Education programmes have involved over 25,000 individuals and over 500 UK companies. Bhattacharyya has received many international honours, awards and honorary doctorates."<ref name="royal"/>
 
'''Named after Lord Bhattacharyya'''
 
In November 2018, [[Coventry City Council]] deputy leader Abdul Khan announced that the council had asked the University of Warwick to rename part of University Road as Lord Bhattacharyya Way. The university agreed, and additionally announced that the UK's National Automotive Innovation Centre building, which will be sited on Lord Bhattacharyya Way, would be named The Lord Bhattacharyya building.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/execteam/monthly/1118/|title=Vice-Chancellor announcement}}</ref>
 
==Personal life==
Bhattacharyya and his Irish wife, Bridget, had three daughters, Anita, Tina and Malini.<ref name=whoswho/> As well as Bengali and English, he either spoke or understood Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1040509/asp/look/story_3223137.asp |title=The Kumars at Number 10  |date=9 May 2004 |newspaper=The Telegraph - Calcutta |access-date=23 March 2018}}</ref> He wrote a regular opinion column for the ''[[Birmingham Post]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/all-about/kumar%20bhattacharyya |title=Kumar Bhattacharyya |website=Birmingham Post |access-date=2 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birminghampost.net/tags/kumar-bhattacharyya/|title=Birmingham Post: Business news, local news, expert opinion|website=Birminghampost.net|access-date=9 November 2018}}</ref> Bhattacharyya died on 1 March 2019 following a short illness.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/lord-bhattacharyya-dies-warwick-coventry-15907166|title=Professor Lord Bhattacharyya dies aged 78|last1=Mullen|first1=Enda|date=1 March 2019|work=Coventry Telegraph|access-date=2 March 2019}}</ref>
 
==Death==
Professor Lord Bhattacharyya died on Friday 1 March, 2019 after a short illness.


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
 
{{commons category|Kumar Bhattacharyya}}


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{{FRS 2014}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2000–09}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhattacharyya, Kumar Baron Bhattacharyya}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:2019 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian politicians]]
[[Category:British industrial engineers]]
[[Category:Indian scientists]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) life peers]]
[[Category:Indian engineers]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Birmingham]]
[[Category:British politicians]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:British scientists]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:British engineers]]
[[Category:British politicians of Indian descent]]
 
[[Category:Bengali politicians]]
 
[[Category:British people of Bengali descent]]
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[[Category:Indian emigrants to England]]
[[Category:Academics of the University of Birmingham]]
[[Category:Academics of the University of Warwick]]
[[Category:British Hindus]]
[[Category:Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur alumni]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in public affairs]]
[[Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:People from Bangalore]]

Revision as of 02:46, 27 February 2021

The Right Honourable
The Lord Bhattacharyya
CBE FRS FREng FIMechE Kt, Padma Bhushan
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
In office
3 June 2004 – 1 March 2019
Life peerage
Personal details
Born
Sushanta Kumar Bhattacharyya

(1940-06-06)6 June 1940[1]
Bangalore, Kingdom of Mysore, Madras Presidency, British India
Died (aged 78)
Birmingham, United Kingdom
Political partyLabour
Alma materIndian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (BTech)
University of Birmingham (MS, PhD)
Known forFounder of Warwick Manufacturing Group
WebsiteWMG's Founder Page

Sushanta Kumar Bhattacharyya, Baron Bhattacharyya, CBE, FRS, FREng, FIMechE, Kt[2][3] (6 June 1940[1] – 1 March 2019) was a British-Indian engineer, educator and government advisor.[4] In 1980, he became Professor of Manufacturing Systems at the University of Warwick and founded the Warwick Manufacturing Group.[5] In 2004 he was made a Life Peer and became a member of the House of Lords.[6][7]

Early life and education

Kumar Bhattacharyya was born in Bangalore,[8] the elder son of Sudhir Kumar Bhattacharyya (1909–1987) and Hemanalini Chakraborty. Of Bengali origin, the Bhattacharyyas were a zamindari family from Dhaka District (then in the Bengal Presidency of British India and now in Bangladesh).[9] At the time, his father, a distinguished professor of physical chemistry and subsequently Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, was a professor at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, where Bhattacharyya spent the first 12 years of his life. In 1952, upon his father's appointment as head of the chemistry department at the new Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur,[10] the family moved to Kharagpur.

Bhattacharyya studied Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, taking his Bachelor of Technology (BTech) degree in 1960.[1] The following year, he moved to Britain, where he worked for six years as a graduate apprentice at Lucas Industries, a large British manufacturing company.[10] During this time, he studied at the University of Birmingham, where he was awarded a Master of Science (MSc) degree in engineering production and management, followed by a PhD in engineering production in 1970.[11] While completing his PhD at Birmingham, he was appointed as a lecturer and began the process of establishing a manufacturing education programme for industry there.[10]

Career and research

In 1980, he moved to the University of Warwick and, with the support of Vice-Chancellor Jack Butterworth, he founded WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group) of which he served as chairman until his death. WMG is now one of the largest academic departments of the university and is known for its collaborative research and education programmes with industry.[12] During this time, he was instrumental in brokering significant partnerships for UK manufacturing including the takeover of Jaguar Land Rover by Indian firm Tata Motors[13][14] in 2008 and the investment in the National Automotive Innovation Centre at the University of Warwick.[15]

Lord Bhattacharyya's contribution to innovation in academia and industry led to several prime ministerial visits to WMG. Margaret Thatcher called Bhattacharyya "a true pioneer" in a 1990 speech opening WMG's Advanced Technology Centre.[16] A decade later, Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair said WMG was "an outstanding example of combining academic excellence with industrial relevance."[17] In a 2007 speech, Blair's successor, Gordon Brown, said that WMG "provides a prime example of how the knowledge created in our universities can be transferred to make a difference in the real world".[18]

In 2016, Prime Minister Theresa May visited WMG with Chancellor Philip Hammond as part of her government's development of a UK Industrial Strategy.[19]

Bhattacharyya was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1997 New Year Honours[20] and knighted in 2003.[21] On 3 June 2004, he was created a life peer as Baron Bhattacharyya[1] of Moseley in the County of West Midlands.[22] He sat on the Labour benches in the House of Lords.[4]

In 2014, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).[3][23] He was also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering[2] and a number of other professional bodies including the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Indian National Academy of Engineering and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.

Kumar Bhattacharyya was a past member of the UK Council for Science and Technology and a past board member of Advantage West Midlands, the West Midlands Regional Development Agency (RDA).[24] He also served as a scientific adviser to the government of South Africa. He sat on the Policy Advisory Council of the Institute for Public Policy Research[25] and served on the National Consumer Council from 1990 to 1993.

House of Lords

Kumar Bhattacharyya sat on the Labour benches in the House of Lords. His focus was on policy areas such as business and industry, economy and finance, education, international affairs and science and technology. Throughout his career, he was a passionate advocate for engineering innovation and the revival of British industry.[26] Lord Baker paid tribute to his enormous contribution to technical education in the UK as "quite remarkable".[27]

Books

In 2002, Andrew Lorenz wrote a book about Bhattacharyya's career and the growth of WMG, entitled Kumar Bhattacharyya: The Unsung Guru.[28]

Awards and honours

His nomination for the Royal Society reads:

"Kumar Bhattacharyya is the founder and leader of the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) whose mission is to improve the competitiveness of industry through innovative collaborative research, educational and knowledge transfer programmes WMG employs over 300 staff with a similar number seconded from industry. It has a global reputation in automotive research, the built environment, digital technology and healthcare systems. Kumar Bhattacharyya was the primary architect of the Integrated Graduate Development Scheme, now considered best practice in CPD by many Universities, and was the first to run the Eng Doc programme on similar principles. In 30 years, the Education programmes have involved over 25,000 individuals and over 500 UK companies. Bhattacharyya has received many international honours, awards and honorary doctorates."[3]

Named after Lord Bhattacharyya

In November 2018, Coventry City Council deputy leader Abdul Khan announced that the council had asked the University of Warwick to rename part of University Road as Lord Bhattacharyya Way. The university agreed, and additionally announced that the UK's National Automotive Innovation Centre building, which will be sited on Lord Bhattacharyya Way, would be named The Lord Bhattacharyya building.[48]

Personal life

Bhattacharyya and his Irish wife, Bridget, had three daughters, Anita, Tina and Malini.[1] As well as Bengali and English, he either spoke or understood Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.[49] He wrote a regular opinion column for the Birmingham Post.[50][51] Bhattacharyya died on 1 March 2019 following a short illness.[52]

Death

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya died on Friday 1 March, 2019 after a short illness.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Bhattacharyya, Baron, (Sushantha Kumar Bhattacharyya)". Who's Who (online Oxford University Press ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U7480. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help) (subscription or UK public library membership required) (subscription required)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "List of Fellows". Royal Academy of Engineering. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Kumar Bhattacharyya". Royal Society. 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2018. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from the royalsociety.org website where:

    “All text published under the heading 'Biography' on Fellow profile pages is available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.” --Royal Society Terms, conditions and policies at the Wayback Machine (archived 2016-11-11)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Lord Bhattacharyya". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  5. ↑ "Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya: Chairman of WMG". University of Warwick. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  6. ↑ "Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya :: Chairman of WMG". Warwick.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  7. ↑ "Engine for change: Industrialist and educator Lord Bhattacharyya". Financial Times. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  8. ↑ Amit, Roy (1 May 2004). "Kharagpur to House of Lords". The Telegraph - Calcutta. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  9. ↑ Aditya, S. (1987). "Sudhir Kumar Bhattacharyya 1909–1987" (PDF). Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy. 1: 194–204.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Morgan, Oliver (19 June 2005). "A Brahmin of business". The Observer. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  11. ↑ Bhattacharyya, Kumar (1970). Characteristics of wheel wear in precision surface grinding. Bham.ac.uk (PhD thesis). University of Birmingham. Template:Copac.
  12. ↑ "Kumar Bhattacharyya". Times Higher Education. 24 March 2000. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  13. ↑ "Jaguar Land Rover "at start of great revival"". BBC One, The Politics Show West Midlands. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  14. ↑ "JLR at start of a 'great revival'". BBC News. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  15. ↑ Brown, Graeme (14 June 2013). "Jaguar Land Rover backs hi-tech campus with £45m". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  16. ↑ "Speech opening Warwick University Advanced Technology Centre | Margaret Thatcher Foundation". Margaretthatcher.org. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  17. ↑ "Tony Blair visits University of Warwick". Warwick.ac.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  18. ↑ "WMG :: Gordon Brown unveils foundation stone of Warwick Digital Lab". Warwick.ac.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  19. ↑ Gilbert, Simon (28 April 2017). "Government wants Coventry & JLR at heart of global car industry". Coventrytelegraph.net. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  20. ↑ "No. 54625". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1996. p. 8.
  21. ↑ "No. 57391". The London Gazette. 24 August 2004. p. 10694.
  22. ↑ "No. 57312". The London Gazette. 9 June 2004. p. 7176.
  23. ↑ "Professor Lord Bhattacharyya elected as a Fellow of The Royal Society". University of Warwick. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  24. ↑ "Hansard Written Answers: Advantage West Midlands". TheyWorkForYou. 7 November 2002. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  25. ↑ "Kumar Bhattacharyya". Institute for Public Policy Research. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  26. ↑ "Hansard – Lords – Houses of Parliament – Archives (26 April 2013): Lord Bhattacharyya: Spoken material by date". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  27. ↑ "Lords Hansard text for 23 October 2014 (pt 0002)". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  28. ↑ Lorenz, Andrew. (2002). Kumar Bhattacharyya : the unsung guru. London: Random House Business. ISBN 0-7126-7244-3. OCLC 50526920.
  29. ↑ "IET Viscount Nuffield/Mensforth Lecture". The Institution of Engineering and Technology. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
  30. ↑ "The Sir Robert Lawrence Award". Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK). Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  31. ↑ "Padma Bhushan Awardees". Government of India.
  32. ↑ "Honorary Graduates of the University of Birmingham since 2000" (PDF). University of Birmingham. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  33. ↑ "The Duncan Davies Medal". The Research & Development Society. Archived from the original on 16 November 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  34. ↑ "Honorary Members". Society of Manufacturing Engineers. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  35. ↑ "Royal Society elects new Fellows". Royal Society. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  36. ↑ Gibbons, Duncan (24 September 2015). "'Saviours of Jaguar Land Rover' honoured as Freemen of the City". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  37. ↑ "Minister for the Constitution presents University of Warwick with Royal Warrant". UK Government. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  38. ↑ "Major award for Lord Bhattacharyya". Machinery Market News. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 Mancarini, Leigh (3 October 2017). "WMG chairman 'surprised but honoured' by double award presentation in China". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  40. ↑ "Foreign experts receive "Great Wall Friendship Award"". People's Daily. 20 November 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  41. ↑ "50 foreigners win Friendship Award". China Daily. 30 September 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.[permanent dead link]
  42. ↑ "January 2018 University of York to award Honorary Degrees – Electronic Engineering, The University of York". York.ac.uk. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  43. ↑ "USTB 2018 student graduation ceremony and degree awarding ceremony". News.ustb.edu.cn. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  44. ↑ "Professor Lord Bhattacharyya receives an honorary degree from Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology". Shaping the future. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  45. ↑ "Professor Lord Bhattacharyya receives an honorary degree from the Indian Institute of Technology". Shaping the future. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  46. ↑ "WMG Chairman delivers memorial lecture".
  47. ↑ "Zienkiewicz Lecture". www.swansea.ac.uk. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  48. ↑ "Vice-Chancellor announcement".
  49. ↑ "The Kumars at Number 10". The Telegraph - Calcutta. 9 May 2004. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  50. ↑ "Kumar Bhattacharyya". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  51. ↑ "Birmingham Post: Business news, local news, expert opinion". Birminghampost.net. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  52. ↑ Mullen, Enda (1 March 2019). "Professor Lord Bhattacharyya dies aged 78". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 2 March 2019.


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