THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kuruvilla Joseph has been appointed as the first Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram. IIST, an autonomous institution under the Department of Space, Government of India, holds the unique distinction of being Asia’s first institute dedicated exclusively to education and research in space science and technology.
A distinguished scientist and academician, Joseph has served IIST in several pivotal administrative roles, including Registrar and Dean (Academics), contributing significantly to its growth and academic excellence.
He is widely acclaimed for his outstanding research contributions, with over 250 research papers in leading international journals, nine books and several patents to his credit. He has a notable h-index of 66 and citation index of more than 18,000. As many as 22 doctoral students have achieved their PhD degree under his supervision.
Joseph’s work has earned him international recognition, including his inclusion in the prestigious Stanford / Elsevier list of the world’s top 2% scientists for five consecutive years (2020-2025), underscoring his sustained impact in his field.