IIT-Tirupati Conclave Seeks Closer Industry-Academia Ties
The discussions focused on aligning academic curricula with industry requirements, supporting start-ups and developing ways to train farmers to become entrepreneurs.
Tirupati: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Tirupati, the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Tirupati and Canada's Dalhousie University held a round table on strengthening industry-academia collaboration in Tirupati on Monday as part of the Tri-Institutional Global Innovation Campus initiative.
The discussions focused on aligning academic curricula with industry requirements, supporting start-ups and developing ways to train farmers to become entrepreneurs.
IIT-Tirupati director K.N. Satyanarayana introduced the initiative, while IISER-Tirupati director Santanu Bhattacharya spoke about the partnership among the three institutions.
Matt Hebb, vice-president of strategic engagement at Dalhousie University, outlined the university's vision for the innovation campus.
Industry representatives stressed the need to bridge the gap between academic qualifications and the skills expected by employers.
They called for updating courses to meet industry requirements, with greater emphasis on problem-solving and product development alongside manufacturing.
The participants also explored opportunities in skill development, product validation and collaboration between educational institutions and companies.
They emphasised the need for both sectors to understand each other's capabilities and give due attention to risk management.
Given the large population dependent on agriculture, participants also suggested developing programmes to equip farmers with entrepreneurial skills.
Representatives of the three institutions thanked the participants for their suggestions and said a roadmap would be prepared to implement the proposals and improve academic programmes.
Representatives from Suprajit Engineering, Centum Electronics, Biological E, Maple Software, Sea6 Energy, HiMedia Laboratories and other companies attended the conclave.