LICET – College Day: 16Jun2022
Engineering Education and Service: Recollect, Rejoice, and Reflect
A college day is an occasion when we remember, rejoice, and reflect about our education and how it is going to make our lives. We recollect our efforts and struggles; and today we rejoice over our achievements, the fruits of our labour; and we reflect what is going to happen for us in the future. A college day is a conglomeration of all these three trends of recollecting the past, rejoicing in the present, and reflecting for the future.
Engineering Education: We could, in a special way, reflect on the recent evolution of engineering education and service. As the technology is evolving so fast, the traditional teaching methods are not able to keep pace with the fast changes in the industries. We need to reflect on the recent trends in engineering education. The top five trends are:
- Hands on learning Labs: Instead of hours of listening to lectures and pouring over text books, we need a blended model. It has been seen that students would more likely comprehend and solve critical problems if they can apply information in a realistic setting. Simulation and application-based learning would be the way to go. You learn by doing which would be more effective and long lasting.
- Industry-centric Curriculum: Today our students learn in our institution, but when they enter industries they have to de-learn and then re-learn in order to get along with the current in the industries stream. When possible, the syllabi could be designed in consultation with industries.
- Updating Facilities: In addition to the prescribed university requirements we need to build bridges to make smooth transition for our students from institution to industries. Large tables and technology-equipped workstations replace individual desks to foster group projects and teamwork.
- Adaptive learning Software: Software world is always dynamic and ever evolving – Our students need to be ready to get adopted to the future needs and to adapt themselves to the challenges out there. Our syllabi attempt to offer yesterday’s solution to tomorrow’s problems.
- Honing Soft-skills: Students need to develop non-technical skills in addition to mastering core curriculum in order to excel professionally. They need to pick up skills in public speaking, professional writing, and career preparation. These are required for excellent and integrated formation of students.[1]
These aspects would bring in entrepreneurship and innovation among our students would become creative emerging as prototype leaders.
Engineering Service: Once a student gets educated, he/she looks for a decent placement. But our students, in addition to seeking jobs, they should be able to offer part of their professional education as service to the society.
Currently there are about 6,000 engineering services organizations in our country. Over a period, the scenario with regard to customer expectations and service offerings from suppliers have changed. As an outgrowth of IT success, outsourcing is the order of the day. Many companies and industries have started outsourcing their engineering efforts for various reasons, primarily cost effective. At present, India has talented engineers with 0 to 5 years’ experience but engineers with 10 to 20 years of experience are difficult to find. You are in the demand group. So as you jump into the real world you have ample chances. You need to grab the chance and opportunity and work to attain excellence.
You need to cash in on a couple of concepts:
- Initiate and develop collaborative Partnership: You could develop capabilities up the service value chain and across the product life cycle as there is huge market there.
- Ideate the Products: Look for road less travelled in your realm of expertise. For example, there is a huge market for rural healthcare. Health care equipment/products need to be developed to suit local conditions at low cost.
- Discover a combination of IT and Engineering as a total Solution: Start-up ventures combined with local innovation would create revolution in product development. For example, you could replicate sophisticated methods and gadget for the need of the local people.[2]
We are happy about many things today in LICET: Placement is picking up, students initiatives in technical aspects as well as in sports and games are growing, culturals is another area show-casing students talents etc. These are inspiring to others and a catalyst for fellow students to identify and develop one’s potential which invites for imitation as well as teamwork of collaboration. It is a day to thankfully think of the staff (both teaching and non-teaching) for their accompanying the students showing the way to success and to meaningful life, and for their assuring the students their solidarity even amidst struggles and trying periods of failures and challenges. And today is also a day when each one of us should identity our potential and hidden talents and make use of them for our growth and for the good of the society. Remember that the potential within you is much greater than the obstacles around you.
For all we have done well let us be happy and for all we could have done better, let us be confident of making it up sooner or later. On we go, upward we march. Keep going. All the best. Wish you all a happy LICET day.
Francis P Xavier SJ
16Jun2022
[1] https://www.networkcomputing.com/data-centers/engineering-education-5-emerging-trends
[2] https://www.quest-global.com/blogs/emerging-trends-in-engineering-services-in-india/