The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Industry-academia interaction set to grow

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 05, 2006
ePaper

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Industry-academia interaction set to grow

Staff Reporter

Several companies investing in joint programmes with educational institutions

GATHERING TIPS: Students interact with company representatives at the career fair organised by Loyola College on Friday. — Photo: R. Ragu

CHENNAI: The interaction between industry and academia is set to grow in future as it brings mutual benefits, management experts said in Loyola College on Friday.

Career fair inaugurated

At the inauguration of a career fair, SSI Chairman and CEO K.S. Suresh said several companies were investing in joint programmes with educational institutions. The industry stood to gain from the academic experience of teachers and the fresh talent of students while offering research and training opportunities in return.

Industry funding in such projects would increase if the model is successful, Mr. Suresh said. He urged colleges to help students interact with industry representatives right from the first year.

R. Venugopal, Vice-President (Strategic Support) of Lason India, said training time was reduced when corporate expectations were made known to students during their college days. Lason has a tie-up with Nehru Memorial College, Tiruchi, where a course in business process outsourcing has been added to the curriculum, Mr. Venugopal said.

S. Ramasundaram, Chairman and Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation, told students to pick up at least one foreign language and one Indian language (apart from English and their mother tongue) to build a successful career. Skills in MS-Excel, MS-Powerpoint and HTML would stand young professionals in good stead, he said.

Tips for students

The management experts also came up with several career tips: be a self-starter, learn to adapt, master technical competence, cultivate team spirit, develop solid communication skills, keep information security as top priority, and understand international work principles.

The career fair helped students speak directly with top companies, scout for internship opportunities, and apply for well-paying jobs.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu