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E-Cell OC
Inquiro — Seek Research. Find Mentors. Build Impact.

 

Let’s be real. Students want to get into research. Professors want reliable students. And yet… nothing connects.

I’ve seen it firsthand: every other student I know wants research exposure but has no idea where to start. Meanwhile, professors are constantly hunting for dependable students to handle simulations, data prep, or literature reviews. Right now, this is a broken system. Opportunities vanish in random emails or closed WhatsApp groups, and the result is a massive waste of talent and time.

So here’s the solution: INQUIRO — from the Latin “to inquire, to seek.”

Inquiro is a campus-first platform that uses AI to solve this disconnect, literally bringing the seekers together with the knowers. Professors can post scoped projects (2–10 weeks, not a lifetime commitment). Students build profiles with their skills—Python, MATLAB, writing, and poster design. The AI engine handles the matching. No more begging. No more “sir, any openings?” spam. Just clarity.

What makes Inquiro different?

This isn’t LinkedIn for job hunters. This isn’t ResearchGate for post-docs. This is built for us—undergraduates who want to build, learn, and make an impact now.

- Smart Matching: Professors post projects and students showcase their skills. Inquiro’s AI does the matching, connecting the right student to the right project without the guesswork.

- AI Recommendations: Inquiro doesn’t just match; it nudges. Students get personalised suggestions like, “You did ML in biology, check out this genomics project.” Faculty get insights like, “These 5 students are strong in data viz but haven’t been utilised this semester.”

- Integrity Tracking: Every contribution is logged. Our platform tracks who is genuinely putting in the work, so recognition—including co-authorship—is based on real input, not favouritism.

Why it matters

I’ve been a student desperately hunting for work that matters. I’ve also heard professors complain they can’t find consistent helpers. Inquiro bridges that gap—making research accessible, fair, and, honestly, way more exciting.

Students get exposure, stronger resumes, and the confidence to tackle bigger challenges. Faculty gain reliable assistants, resulting in faster progress and increased publications. The university grows a vibrant research culture—and becomes known as the place where research actually happens.

So, if you had Inquiro tomorrow, what’s the very first feature you’d want?

Votes: 23
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Comments

  • The way you’ve identified mutual pain is spot-on. What I’m curious about is how Inquiro prevents “ghosting”, students dropping out mid-project. Maybe some built-in accountability metric or progress streak?
    • E-Cell OC
      Great question — that’s something we’ve seen happen a lot in informal research setups. Inquiro plans to introduce lightweight progress tracking and periodic feedback checkpoints. Instead of punishment-based systems, we want positive accountability — e.g., contribution badges, visible reliability scores, and project “streaks” that actually help students build credibility over time.
  • This solves a deep structural gap in academia. The next challenge might be trust infrastructure — how will professors know a student’s skill claims are real? Portfolio linking or small skill-validation tasks could help.
    • E-Cell OC
      100% agreed — trust is the foundation. We’re designing Inquiro profiles to be verifiable, not just descriptive. That means linking to portfolios, GitHub, writing samples, and even small skill validation tasks before a student can apply. Long term, the platform should learn from completed projects — every finished collaboration strengthens the next match
  • This speaks to every student who’s ever wanted to do real research but didn’t know where to start. How will you ensure diversity of fields though — not just CS and engineering, but humanities, design, and business too?
    • E-Cell OC
      I’m so glad you brought that up — we don’t want Inquiro to become a STEM-only bubble. Our early focus is on tech-driven research because the workflows are easier to digitize, but the long-term goal is absolutely cross-disciplinary. We’re already exploring templates for humanities, psychology, and design projects where “research” looks more like synthesis and storytelling than data analysis.
  • I love the mission behind Inquiro, but depending heavily on AI for matches might not always capture the human side of research fit. Sometimes personality, curiosity, and communication matter more than keywords or listed skills. Maybe there could be a short mentor–student interaction before finalising a match.
    • E-Cell OC
      Absolutely agree, richa — research fit is as much about curiosity and chemistry as it is about skills. The AI match is just the first handshake, not the full conversation.
      We’re exploring a “pre-match dialogue” or mini-interaction window before confirming pairs — so mentors and students can feel out the spark before committing. Thanks for highlighting the human element; that’s exactly the balance we’re trying to get right.
  • Inquiro kind of feels like a dating app for research—matching students and professors based on skills and needs. While that’s a fun idea, it also makes it seem a bit shallow and maybe too dependent on the AI “match” actually being a good fit. Plus, just like dating apps, if not enough people use it, it’s basically useless. It’s not a bad concept, but it needs way more than just matching to actually work well for serious research.
    • E-Cell OC
      Haha, you’re spot-on — it does sound a bit like Tinder for research, and we’re okay owning that if it gets people collaborating.
      But yes, network liquidity is the real challenge — any matching system is only as strong as its active base. That’s why our first step is a department-level pilot where both sides are already motivated, so the matches are high-quality from day one. Once it feels useful, scaling across campus becomes organic rather than forced.
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