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Envisioning IIT Bombay Students’ perspective: Krishna Ramkumar. 20 August 2011. The Problem: Exhausted student base with diverse interests . Pursuing anything other than science in school considered inferior Few explore real interests
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Envisioning IIT Bombay • Students’ perspective: Krishna Ramkumar • 20 August 2011
The Problem: Exhausted student base with diverse interests • Pursuing anything other than science in school considered inferior • Few explore real interests • Demand-supply mismatch in quality higher education institutions • IIT degree key to a better future • Better jobs in industry • Prestige in society 1 • Student population is • Exhausted from the highly competitive JEE • A group of high-achievers with diverse interests 2 3
3 large changes required to make the IIT education more relevant to the students 1 2 3
1 Interaction with Industry and Government • Engage with industry stalwarts to identify key challenges and breakthrough research topics • Intern with companies to work on these problems and build practical problem-solving skills • Work on government projects to gain an appreciation for grass-root challenges
2 Focus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty • Take on a leadership role by defining key innovation themes • Spend significant time trying to solve these problems and broadening knowledge • Build an ecosystem to foster innovation and entrepreneurship • Identify professors to push the agenda • Invite VC funds and ex-entrepreneurs to run competitions & associated mentoring programs • Encourage recruitment by serial entrepreneurs Students Institute
3 Continuous Academic Reform Academic flexibility • Allow students to take more courses from other departments • Review process of branch allotment • Move the focus from textbook to practical learning • Inculcate mental framework for scientific enquiry • Design more courses at the interface of disciplines • Encourage collaboration on research projects Well-rounded course structure Inter-disciplinary academics
In the long term, should IITs move to a university structure? • Is the need of the hour a purely technical institute? • Or, with an intake of bright students with varied interests, should the IITs create tangible avenues to explore these diverse interests? • Should we create strong engineering, medical, social science and business schools that work in close collaboration with each other? • While this will need a complete overhaul of the system, • it might be the only way for the IIT brand to deliver