By – Prof. Supriya Pattanayak, Vice Chancellor, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha
In the age of artificial intelligence, where everything is automated, one often wonders how our youngsters will cope with the ever-changing dynamics of technology. However, we must not forget that even AI systems are being built by engineers; thus, all we need to do is give our students the right direction and the right foundation of fundamentals. While the engineering colleges, universities and other institutions are going the path of future-ready graduates who have the kind of skills that are required for the future, we are heading towards getting our graduates ready for the global market.
Learning Beyond the Textbook
While theory forms the foundation of this education, we must not forget that it is also important to recognise that technology is fast-changing and it is actually very difficult for classroom learning to be enough. The students must realise this and make efforts to acquire futuristic skills that will give them an edge in the future. Therefore, it is an attempt by the universities to try and enable the students to give them the right foundation of skill-based education.
Why Internships Fall Short
In order to provide students with practical experience, internships were frequently promoted and integrated into the curriculum. However, it has been seen that students do not return with any experiential learning or practical skill, simply visual and optical experience. To overcome this and create better opportunities for students, a paradigm shift is needed. Universities must focus on action learning and applied learning. This can be accomplished by building on-campus industries, which can motivate students and fill them with enthusiasm, commitment, and the choice to set up on-campus in-house manufacturing and product development units connected to the market.
As universities focus on practice-based learning, setting up LIVE production for action learning along with on-campus labs for applied learning enables students to gain that much-needed insight. Additionally, collaboration between industry and academics helps students better understand the gaps in their knowledge. A much-needed facility in the modern day is the presence of manufacturing facilities on university campuses, together with industry partnerships that allow students to have a deeper understanding of their business while also receiving practical training prior to entering the field.
Educating for Employability
The students who graduate should be familiar with the practices of their chosen field, with an emphasis on technological research and instrument development. Not surprisingly, all of the students who graduate from such courses are immediately hired and are in great demand in the global market. And this highlights the most significant change in the labour market: students will need to receive skill-based education in order to meet the demands of the labour market, and universities will be crucial in providing the necessary groundwork.
Industry on Campus
By establishing a range of on-campus manufacturing facilities and labs supported by top businesses from a variety of verticals, such as Yamaha, Schneider Electric, Dassault Systems, and others, universities can encourage entrepreneurship and employability. A parallel model spanning fundamental phases such as product design, development, patent, publication, production, and commercialisation must exist in addition to theory. While an engineering degree programme should include hands-on experience designing vehicles or creating e-rickshaws, an agriculture student must be proficient in using technology to maximise yield.
Where Industry Meets Education
As universities are trying their very best, they face massive challenges of setting up such action learning labs, as it needs extensive funding. But one of the biggest challenges for universities is having qualified faculties to provide these new-age skills. Industry experts must be aligned to give the much-needed hand-holding to students. With a multi-pronged approach by universities, we shall surely be able to create engineers who are ready for global markets and willing to help in the progress of the nation as well.