“VTU will actively encourage Industry and Academia partnership as it will bring sustainable growth in the country,” Vice Chancellor S. Vidyashankar said in Belagavi on Monday.
He was speaking at the first of the several industry-academia interactions in VTU.
“The widening gap between academic delivery and industry expectation raises a need to address the gap between industry and academia, keeping in view the larger goal of students’ employability and the nation’s sustainable growth. VTU is organizing this Industry Academia Meet in every district,” Prof. Vidyashankar, said.
“Industry-academia partnerships should be encouraged more than ever before in today’s fast-changing corporate and education arena. Their early adoption will help foster deeper international collaboration and help leverage digital tools and technology to bring about sustainable growth and progress for the organization, country and the world at large,” he said.
“Since we are a technical university, we can think about how the various departments of VTU in our campus can help the Belagavi industrial sector. Similarly, if the challenges faced by the industrial organizations are given as projects, our departments can make an effort to formulate solutions for those. We have the necessary software, machinery for the industrial sector, whether for study, consultancy or training for people working in industry,’‘ he said.
He said that it could be used for study and training through mutual agreement. He also asked them to allow academic and research internships in industries to provide the necessary required skills to our students. Apart from this, he said that these meetings are not only being organized to reduce the gap between the academic and professional sectors but also that the educational and professional sectors can also find solutions to the challenges facing the nation through mutual cooperation and collaboration. “Therefore, such brainstorming programs are planned by VTU in every district,” he said.
Chairpersons of various departments gave detailed information about the subject-wise facilities available in VTU and how the industrial sector can utilize them and also explained important projects already undertaken by VTU in association with the government and other organizations.
After the presentations, a team consisting of more than 52 experts from Belagavi industrial sector participated in the meet. They said such brainstorming sessions should be held frequently.
The experts talked about the challenges industries faced in fields like electric vehicles and battery technology, use of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things in the industrial sector, aerospace engineering, possibilities of using new technologies in foundry industries, by-products and innovative equipment’s in the sugar industry, increasing the efficiency and accuracy of equipment used in the medical fields and others. They said educational institutions should focus on finding solutions for these and assured that the industry will provide the necessary assistance.
B.E. Rangaswamy, registrar, Harish Bendigeri, special officer and others were present.
