BW Education Successfully Concludes The Fourth Edition Of The Engineering Excellence Conclave

The fourth Edition of the Engineering Excellence Conclave, organised by BW Education, successfully concluded at the Park Hotel, New Delhi, gathering some of the most prominent voices in the engineering education sector. The event was a dynamic platform that explored the pressing questions around engineering education in India.

Key Takeaways

Industry leaders including Laxmidhar Behera, Director, IIT Mandi; Deependra Kumar Jha, Vice Chancellor, Manav Rachna University; Thammi Reddy Konala, Dean, School of Engineering & Sciences, GD Goenka University and Reeba Korah, Professor and Dean, Alliance University, Bangalore, emphasised the importance of engineers adapting through continuous learning and curriculum reform to meet the demands of an AI-powered future.

In his keynote address Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi, underscored the critical role of collaboration in driving sustainable and inclusive education.

The panel agile curriculum: Keeping pace with technological advances saw participation from Mini Thomas, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Jamia Millia Islamia; Suneet Tuli, Dean, School of Engineering, Shiv Nadar University; Maneek Kumar, Dean, School of Engineering and Technology, BML Munjal University and Session Moderator Ruhail Amin, Senior Editor, BW Businessworld, underscored the urgent need for engineering education to evolve in tandem with technological advancements.

Shalini Gupta, Former Vice Chancellor, Desh Bhagat University (on screen – joined virtually) Mini Thomas, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Jamia Millia Islamia; Abhay Bansal, Dean, School of Computer Science Engineering and Technology, Bennett University; Rajeev Tiwari, Dean, School of Computer Science and Engineering, IILM University and Session Moderator Ruhail Ameen, Senior Editor, BW Businessworld, highlighted the scenario when an industry joined wants to come to academics due to work culture as there is a lot of flexibility, autonomy, respect and regard that has been given in academics, which they still find very difficult to get into the industry.

Rajeev Tiwari, Dean, School of Computer Science and Engineering, IILM; Mayank Garg, Professor and Director, ITES Engineering College; Gopalkrishnan EA, Principal, Amrita School of Computing and Amrita School of AI, Bengaluru Campus, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and Session Moderator Sahil Mohan Gupta, Editor, BW Businessworld, called for addressing the unconscious biases to create a more inclusive learning environment in a session on ‘promoting diversity in engineering education’.

In his keynote address Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, highlighted the role of artistic and cultural diversity in fostering creativity and innovation within engineering disciplines.

The panel engineering entrepreneurs, from job seekers to job creators saw participation from, A Thillai Rajan, Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras; Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur and KK Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, discussed that the shift towards entrepreneurship in engineering education signifies a broader transformation, where students are equipped not just with technical skills but also with the mindset and tools needed to innovate.

Saurabh Deep Singla, Chief HR Officer, upGrad; Manoj Kumar Pandey, Director, Amity School of Engineering and technology, Amity University; Mita Brahma, HR Head, NIIT and Rakesh Seth, Chief Mentor HR, Reeocsyys, focussed on the current state of engineering education in India, the employability of graduates and the need for stronger collaborations between academic institutions and industry to ensure that future engineers are equipped with the skills required to succeed in today’s competitive environment.

In addition to addressing the challenges of technological advancements, the conclave also emphasised entrepreneurship and the need for graduates to develop soft skills to succeed in collaborative environments. The Engineering Excellence Conclave 2024 not only facilitated high-level discussions but also laid the foundation for reshaping the future of engineering education in India.