Prof.  Robert (Bob) Metcalfe, recipient of the Turning Award, ACM Grace Hopper award, Marconi Prize and  IEEE Medal of honour gave an inspiring inaugural talk on CONNECTIVITY is a thing, THE thing at the inaugural Future.Tech – Industry Academia Seminar Series on 7 February. As a Turing Award winner and the mastermind behind Ethernet and Metcalfe’s Law, Prof. Metcalfe’s insights were invaluable. This seminar series will deliberate on emerging technology and research trends in the context of industry. These seminars will help industry understand the latest tech trends, as well as foster conversations on industry-academia collaborations. 

Prof. Metcalfe’s visit included engaging discussions with director, deans, faculty, and students, further enriching the academic environment. On 8 February, he explored Hyderabad’s cultural landmarks and participated in a fireside chat at THub, discussing the transformative power of telecommunication and the internet. Bob Metcalfe’s visit exemplified IIITH’s commitment to innovation and collaboration at the forefront of technology.

Prof. Metcalf is a MIT graduate, researcher, inventor and entrepreneur. He is responsible for inventing the Ethernet at Xerox PARC. He later co-founded 3COM networks, the largest networking company for a few decades. Also formulated Metcalfe’s law (the value of a telecom network is proportional to the square of the number of connected users of the system (n2)).

A recording of the talk can be viewed at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywOrmr3UoAE&t=1s

February 2024