The Indian Institute of Technology in Madras (IIT-Madras) has collaborated with a private player on the Institute’s Online BSc Degree programme and to augment select courses on the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) platform. The industry experts will be co-offering a quantum computing course on the NPTEL platform and will add to courses such as data science and artificial intelligence with technical inputs that will help provide students with a current industry perspective.
NPTEL is an online learning platform for university-level science, technology, mathematics, and engineering subjects. According to a representative of the company, technology has emerged as a key business enabler, and Indian enterprises have been accelerating the adoption of new-age technologies like hybrid cloud, AI, analytics, quantum computing, and IoT. At the same time, the skills gap of India’s student community continues to widen. Private players have been working with various government and academic institutions to improve the technical education avenues, and the engagement with IIT-Madras and NPTEL is a significant milestone in this journey. The collaboration will help equip students with 21st-century skill sets that can build new career paths.
According to a news report, experts from the private entity will also conduct technical sessions for NPTEL partner colleges through their local chapters and for the IIT-Madras’ Online BSc Degree programme. These sessions will be free of cost and made available on the NPTEL and IIT-Madras’ online platforms.
Professor Thangaraj, Coordinator, NPTEL, IIT-Madras, noted that the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institutes of Science (IISc) are able to reach out to a large number of learners through the NPTEL platform. NPTEL currently works with more than 4,000 colleges in engineering, arts, commerce, science, and management disciplines across the country. Many students are taking NPTEL certification exams as it helps them in improving their employability. NPTEL has been working towards bringing in an industry perspective to its technically rich courses and is partnering with companies to co-offer the courses. Experts and senior leaders from companies are contributing through their LIVE sessions on various technologies and are giving career guidance to the NPTEL learners.
In May 2021, IIT-Madras collaborated with the same private player to provide faculty, researchers, and students with access to quantum systems, accelerate joint research in quantum computing and develop curricula to help prepare students. The organisation has also collaborated with NPTEL to offer a 12-week online course focused on blockchain architecture, design, and use cases.
Recently, OpenGov Asia reported that the Indian Institute of Management of Ahmedabad (IIM-Ahmedabad) launched the Brij Disa Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (CDSA). The CDSA will research data science and AI that will contribute to businesses, governance, and policymaking. According to a news report, the centre will also act as a bridge between scholars and practitioners in data-intensive organisations. It will undertake case-based research to understand the current industry practice and develop case studies for classroom teaching.
Apart from connecting relevant stakeholders, CDSA will also be responsible for disseminating knowledge to a wide audience both within and outside the realm of the Institute through seminars, workshops, and conferences. The centre will also take up consultation projects to solve pertinent problems of the industry. One of the key objectives of the centre is to present an extensive annual report on the data science and AI industry in the country. It will provide a holistic view of the industry, identify challenges, gauge the scope of the industry, and offer plausible solutions.