The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur will act as a mentoring body for the Indian Institute of Skills in Kanpur (IIS) for the next five years to establish laboratories and skill development curricula, as per a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two parties.
According to an official press release from IIT Kanpur, this move aims to “bridge the gap between knowledge and skill”, in a “new-age environment where the vast group of people without any access to quality education can acquire the skills relevant to the modern world and the learned people can utilize their knowledge towards the development of an ecosystem where it is applied towards the development of our societal needs and aspirations.”
As per the MoU, “IIT Kanpur will be involved in the mentoring the development of laboratory infrastructure at IIS Kanpur, developing suitable course curriculum based on the laboratory system, offering joint certificate and diploma courses as approved by the two institutes (IITK and IIS), and the development of Center for Deep-Skill Training and Research (CDSTAR) at IIT Kanpur which will be complementary to the training at IIS Kanpur.”
In addition, there would also be “at least six Deep-skill laboratories housed at the CDSTAR at IIT Kanpur including, Noise and Vibration Lab (NVH), Advanced Control Systems Lab (ACSL), Advanced Robotics Lab (ARL), Semiconductor Packaging Lab (SPL), Medical Imaging Lab (MIL) and Drug and Pharma Lab (DPL). IIT Kanpur will integrate the skilled professionals from IIS into the entrepreneurship ecosystem at the SIIC and Technology Park of IIT Kanpur,” in order to enhance the experiential learning between the students of IIT Kanpur and IIS, the statement says.
At the same ceremony, IIS also exchanged MoUs with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Dassault Aircraft Services India (DASI), to develop the Defence Industrial Corridor in Uttar Pradesh, and to prepare the local youth for the defence and aerospace sectors.
IIT Kanpur further says, “Prof Bishakh Bhattacharya, HAL, Chair Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering will lead the team from IIT Kanpur along with Dr Abhilash Patel, Department of Electrical Engineering, and Dr Keval S Ramani, Department of Mechanical Engineering as the co-coordinator,” adding that more faculty from IIT Kanpur will join this endeavour.
The MoUs were signed at IIT Kanpur in the presence of Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
