V Kannan received his BSc and MSc degrees from Madras University and the MPhil and PhD degrees from Madurai University. After serving Madurai University as a Lecturer and a Reader for six years, he joined the newly started Central University at Hyderabad, where he has been for more than thirty years, as a Reader, as a UGC Career Awardee (1981-84), as a Professor (since 1985) and Dean of the School of Mathematics and Computer/Information Sciences (1990-95). Presently he is Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

Academic and Research Achievements: Kannan's research interest includes topological dynamics, functional analysis, general topology and approximation theory. He has more than 70 research publications, most often bridging topology with other areas like group theory, measure theory and category theory. He has mentored about 10 students for PhD.

Other Contributions: Kannan has served many national committees and has delivered lectures in Mathematics to non-specialist audiences at a number of colleges and Universities. He is Editor of the journal Indian Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics since 2004 and an INSA Council Member (2007-09). Apart from science, he has also contributed to Sanskrit and Tamil literature through All India Radio (more than 30 talks), series of literary articles in monthly magazines, books and audiocassettes, and participating in Vidwat Sabhas.

Awards and Honours: Professor Kannan was a UGC National Lecturer (1985-86) and received ISCA Srinivasa Ramanujan Award (2006). He was elected as a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore (1992).