Drying plant specimens for a herbarium traditionally takes seven to 20 days. At Shoolini University’s 18th Foundation Day exhibition in Solan, Dr Ritesh Banerjee presented a way to cut that wait: his Photovoltaic Electric Herbarium Machine, which uses solar energy and controlled heating.
Another project CYTOAURA uses a camera and image-analysis software to track bacterial growth by measuring changes in a liquid’s cloudiness. Rhododendron chutney, sand pear jam and dehydrated apple products demonstrated food-processing applications of Himalayan produce.
The exhibition also featured a biochar-based wetland system that treats household wastewater using sand, gravel, pine-needle biochar, soil and plant roots. The system is being implemented in Sultanpur village through a project sanctioned under Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0.
Behind these exhibits is a research focus that began taking shape before the university opened in 2009.
Where the Research Began
In 2004, a group of academics and professionals formed the Foundation for Life Sciences and Business Management. The Shoolini Institute of Life Sciences and Business Management followed in 2005, and the university in 2009. From the start, founder Prof PK Khosla placed research at the centre of the institution’s work.
He had been Vice Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishva Vidyalaya, Palampur, and Senior Scientific Advisor to the Himachal Pradesh Government. His plans combined affordable higher education with research in agriculture, biodiversity and environmental conservation.
“When we started Shoolini, we had a simple but ambitious dream to create a university where young people could be inspired by all the knowledge around us, be curious, ask the right questions and ultimately make an impact in the world,” he said.
After becoming a university in 2009, Shoolini developed research facilities across biotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences, agriculture, engineering and environmental sciences. It now has more than 104 laboratories and 11 Centres of Excellence.
The Summit Research Program brings undergraduates into scientific investigation under faculty mentorship. The One Student, One Patent initiative encourages students to develop original ideas and explore patent protection.
Between 2009 and 2026, Shoolini recorded 6,086 research publications. Twenty-five of its researchers featured in the 2026 Stanford/Elsevier World’s Top 2% Scientists database. The QS Asia University Rankings 2027 place Shoolini first in Asia for Citations per Paper, a measure of how often other researchers cite a university’s papers.
Plans for the Next Decade
The anniversary celebrations followed Shoolini’s placement at 452nd globally and 10th in India in the QS World University Rankings 2027. The day also marked the launch of Shoolini 2.0, its development plan through 2036.
Pro Chancellor Prof Vishal Anand set the goal of entering the world’s top 100 universities by 2036. “We built a strong research culture with limited resources. To get there, we have to grow faster in quality and in scale, and give students more to learn beyond the classroom,” he said. He outlined plans for an Olympic-standard multi-sport complex, an auditorium, a museum hub and a community space for cultural activities.
Vice Chancellor Prof Atul Khosla described his vision for the campus. “Over the next 10 years, our vision is to make Shoolini one of the happiest and most beautiful universities in the world, beautiful in its surroundings, its thinking and its spirit,” he said.