ABOUT

Dr. Syam Viswanath

Dr. Syam Viswanath is a native of Aluva, a region in the city of Kochi in Kerala and settled in Bangalore, Karnataka. He obtained his Master’s Degree in Forestry from Kerala Agricultural University and Ph. D from Kumaon University, Nainital. He has completed 10 months training in Agroforestry with a FAO fellowship in SFRC, University of Florida, USA.

Dr. Syam Viswanath has around 32 years of forestry research experience in Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), MoEF&CC as Scientist. Worked in various Research Institute of ICFRE like Tropical Forest Research Institute (TFRI), Jabalpur (1992-99), Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding (IFGTB), Coimbatore (1999-2003), Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST), Bangalore (2003-18), Kerala Forest Research Institute (as Director from June 2018 to Sept 2023)

His research contributions are in the interdisciplinary areas of Bamboo and Sandalwood cultivation and propagation, cropping systems research and Agroforestry. Completed 20 externally aided research projects and 6 internal projects in ICFRE. He has mentored 25 students for Ph.D and served as Consultant for UNIDO on bamboo. Worked as Faculty in other Universities in India and abroad. Courtesy Professor in SFRC, University of Florida USA in Agro Forestry and Guest Faculty in Azim Premji University Bangalore on Bamboo. Director, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, June 2018 to Sept 2023. Under his leadership, KFRI got the Best Performing Institute Award of KSCSTE for the year 2021.

Dr. Syam Viswanath has published large number of research papers in excess of 140. He was the Editor in Chief of International Journal “Journal of Bamboo & Rattan” published by KFRI and Reviewer for Agroforestry Systems Journal. He has delivered more than 40 invited lectures, as keynote speaker in National and International seminars/conferences.