How Can University Curriculums Adapt To The Constantly Evolving Job Sphere?

Engineering is an incredibly popular field of study in India, with it producing at least one million engineering graduates annually. However, as sustainability becomes a priority, technology advances, and AI becomes increasingly prevalent, it is one of the most rapidly evolving fields of study, and institutions need to make sure they are keeping up. Republic Media Network has partnered with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham School of Engineering to bring you this episode of Shaping India’s Future.

This episode features special guests Dr. Sriram Devanathan, Principal, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham School of Engineering Bengaluru, Dr. Abhilash Ravikumar, Alumni and Assistant Professor ECE Department, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham School of Engineering, Professor Chandra B. Sharma, Professor of Education, Indira Gandhi National Open University and Former Chairman, National Institute of Open Schooling, and Toolika Krishna, Career Counselor, Trainer and Mentor, Credentials India. We discuss the changes academic institutions need to make to ensure that they do not fall behind the times and how to properly prepare students for the unpredictable and evolving field of engineering. Additionally, they discuss how to facilitate smooth transitions when carrying out curriculum changes and the significance of proactive learning even after university.

Dr. Srivam Devanathan gives a great example of how institutes can ensure all these deliverables by giving the example of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, highlighting how the school has adopted a holistic approach to the students' learning to capture the requirements of the future. With an emphasis on sustainability and immersive learning experiences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham aims to instil vital skills and values in the students to prepare them for their 21st century careers. Lastly, he emphasizes how understanding human values and needs to develop socio-technological solutions is a key factor of good and effective engineering. This underrated aspect of the study is a main part of the engineering curriculums at the institution.

Other topics discussed were the importance of proactive learning throughout your career to keep up with the times, self-motivation, whether technological advancements are resulting in an increase or a decrease in engineering jobs, and why digital education is misunderstood.

Overall, this episode gives a comprehensive understanding of how engineering students and institutions can keep up with the ever-changing field and how the values, skills, and attitudes developed during university are infinitely more important than the content.