Manthan 2012: Redefining Industry - Academia Relationships: Part 1

Recently, Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV), MP organized a 2 days event with the mantra of "Redefining Industry - Academia Relationships". The goal is, obviously, too challenging and big to solve in two days. However, as it is said,  "The man who wanted to move a mountain, starts with a stone", we have definitely taken the first step to reach the goal with the help of Manthan. 

In this blog, I will share some of the highlights of event in terms of challenges and opportunities discussed. Here they are:

One of the main challenge shared by the Industry is:

Readily Employable: As per industry, students are not readily employable. As a result, industry has to spend a lot of resources to train the freshers. Companies like Infosys, TCS, Microsoft and so on have their full fledged universities to train the freshers.

It is also worth while to ponder upon some of the following questions:

1. Why institutions like IITs, and Delhi Universities have 100% placement and other institutions struggle? 
2. Why certain colleges have as low as 10% occupancy and are at the verge of closing?

Some of the expectation of the industry from the academia and students are:

Soft Skills

General Problem Solving Skills: General problem solving skills can be applied to various facets of today's personal and industry life. It should be considered as one of the top skills to learn and master:

1. Survey: Students should be able to convert data into information, and information into knowledge.
2. Problem Finding: Students should be able to find gap areas in existing solutions, and propose new creative solutions to existing solutions. 
3. Problem Formulation: Students should be able to define and present the problems.
4. Problem Solving: Students should be able to find creative and breakthrough solutions to existing problems.

(Tight Bounded) Communication: Students should be taught to communicate effectively using various means including writing and oral communication. Tight Bounded Communication means to communicate effectively within a given time bound.

Technical Knowledge

Conceptual Knowledge: It is extremely important to acquire indepth conceptual knowledge of a field or a specific subject, the students have studied. Without conceptual knowledge, students will not know why they are doing of what they are doing. 

Practical Skill: It is also extremely important to have practical skills of the subject. If conceptual knowledge is the mind, then practical skills are, definitely, the hands and legs of the education. What a mind will do without hands?

The main solutions discussed to make students readily employable were in the following lines:

1. Industry is ready to invest in training the students and faculties.
2. Industry will actively participate in creation of curriculum.
3. Industrial training for students.
4. Video interaction between industries and academia.

Some of the opportunities that were discussed in the event are:

1. Some of the sectors like manufacturing, construction, and power have huge scope in India. We are lagging behind the countries like China and USA by another 20 years. As a result, we need a more workforce to bridge the gap.
2. Interestingly, a major Indian company talked about opening a campus in Bhopal that will require 5000 people, 10 times more than the students attending the conference. 
3. 9 out of 10 countries in Africa are young countries, as a result, we have potential markets in all these developing countries.

Wrapping up, the event is a great initiative both for industries and academics. The event must have provided an eye opener to students that we are staying in a highly competitive world and nothing should be taken as granted. 

PS: "If we keep on doing what we are already doing, we will keep on achieving what we are already achieving"