Strategies for industry-institute collaboration
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Industries should concentrate on research and development to strengthen their bond with institutions, felt the participants at a recent seminar
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“AICTE should make it mandatory for institutions to devote adequate time for institute-industry interaction.”
The ISTE-CON 2008 Trichy, organised jointly by the Anna University – Tiruchi and Indian Society for Technical Education(ISTE) last week at Sudharsan Engineering College, Pudukkottai, was essentially meant to evolve strategies for giving a practical shape to industry-institute collaboration.
The two-day conference on the theme ‘Industrial expectations and institutional preparations’ witnessed sessions on ‘Understanding industrial needs’, ‘Meeting industrial needs’, ‘Placement issues and alternatives’, ‘Washington Accord and its implications’, ‘Adequacy of institutional preparedness’, and ‘Achieving industrial acceptance’.
According to Prof. Ramachandran, vice-chancellor of Anna University - Tiruchi and conference patron, industries are extending valuable help in framing curriculum according to current needs.
But getting industry representatives to train trainers in recent areas of current curriculum is a Herculean task. The government has to introduce a mechanism for creating interdependence of industries and institutions.
Industries, which benefit from institutions, must also make an effective contribution rather than criticise shortcomings in the educational system.
He said the theme ought to have been ‘Institutional expectations and industrial preparations’. Industry help is vital in the teaching-learning process.
Incubation centres
Understanding with industry should essentially reflect in equipping faculty adequately against the backdrop of the reality that most of the teachers in engineering colleges take up the profession more due to compulsion.
Industries should also start incubation centres to breed engineers in accordance with their needs.
The conference reflected the fact that the level of industry-institution interaction left much to be desired, observed M. Radhakrishnan, organising secretary of the conference and Head, Department of Information Technology, Sudharsan Engineering College.
Technology changes must reflect in academia and ISTE streamlines the adaptation by conducting short-term programmes and workshops and enhancing the quality of teaching by facilitating Early Faculty Induction Programme.
Being an approving body, AICTE should make it mandatory for institutions to devote adequate time for institute-industry interaction.
It should fund institutions for starting Industry-Institution Interaction Cells. The idea of industry representatives teaching students and institutions deputing teachers to industries for undertaking projects must be accorded thrust, he said emphasising the need for industries to concentrate on research and development to strengthen their bond with institutions.
R. Hariharan, Development Coordinator, ISTE, said that one of the important recommendations of the conference was encouraging students to undertake research work during graduation so that they would be industry-ready even before obtaining their degrees.
Another important recommendation was to encourage engineering colleges to go for ISO 9000:2000 rating and secure accreditation of the National Board of Accreditation in the run-up to conforming to the parameters of accreditation under Washington Accord. Only then can institutions prepare students to face global competition, he said.
R. KRISHNAMOORTHY
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