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NIIT University is gearing up to start its first academic session in September, 2009. As a run-up to the academic year, NIIT University organized a seminar titled ‘Engineering: Building Great Careers in Turbulent Times’ in the IIT Delhi campus on May 11, 2009. This was attended by students of various schools and colleges along with their parents who had various questions about choosing the right career to ensure a bright future.
The seminar discussed issues of importance for students who are standing at the crossroads of education and career. The discussion was relevant for all attendees as the number of students appearing for the IIT-JEE and other competitive exams is increasing every year.
The seminar included a panel of eminent personalities from the field of Education and Industry, namely Prof P V Indiresan, former Director, IIT Chennai; Prof R C Malhotra, Former Director, IIT Kanpur; Som Mittal, President, NASSCOM; Dr. Ravi Kothari, Research Lab, IBM; Rajendra S Pawar, Chairman, NIIT and  Prof M P Kapoor, Founding Vice Chancellor, NIIT University.
Som Mittal started off the discussion by saying that irrespective of the economic condition, demand is not going to be a constraint. He stated that in the industry, 30% of the labour cost is spent in training as institutes are often not able to provide proper education which is required in the industry while working. Thus, it is necessary for students to learn from the environment of the campus. When asked about the future of the Engineering industry, Mr. Mittal assured that, by the end of the year, a turnaround will take place.
Professor R C Malhotra’s talk revolved around technology affecting the quality of education. Nowadays, students study from virtual notes instead of attending classes. Even the lectures are complemented with videos, graphs etc. “You will find our students learning most of the things from their peers, rather than their teachers.” Mr. Malhotra said. He also mentioned the importance of academic libraries where besides print, non-print material are also available.
Dr P V Indiresan stressed the need to develop a “third eye”. Periodically everyone should forget everything learnt by them and try to concentrate on their areas of interest. According to him, NIIT University is going to offer all these things that help a student to get a holistic education.
“Engineering is all about quality of life and quality of living” stated Professor M P Kapoor. He said that NIIT University is for those who would like to practice Engineering in life. Every second is a moment of learning and NIIT University will provide that opportunity where every moment will be a learning experience. “You will come out as a B.Tech in Performing Arts!” stated Prof Kapoor. He also expressed his dissatisfaction on the system of entrance exams where few are selected for interviews. According to him, the performance of the student throughout his academic life, along with a personal interview should be the selection criteria.
Rajendra S Pawar sounded optimistic about the future of India’s technological calibre. He said that in the next 10 years, India will be exporting technology. M.Techs will be at par with MBAs and NIIT University would ensure that.
After the discussion, there was a stimulating Q&A session where the panelists answered questions raised by the audience. At the end of the session, all present in the seminar flew paper-planes symbolizing the launch of their career by taking off to a flying start.