Global Investors Summit 2023: IIM Visakhapatnam director suggests ‘Work a day’ model to familiarise students with industry – Times of India

VISAKHAPATNAM: Indian Institute of Management-Visakhapatnam director Prof M Chandrasekhar suggested evolving a model of making the students work in the industry for one day in his/her first year of course, two days in the second year, three days in the third year, and so on to equip them with the needed skill sets before completion of their course. Speaking during a panel discussion conducted on the theme of ‘skilling and education’ as part of the two-day Global Investors Summit on Saturday, Prof Chandrasekhar said the India Skills Report 2022 points to the fact that Andhra Pradesh is among the top destinations in terms of supplying maximum employable talent and English language skills. “The state can bank on this huge talent pool. Knowing the customer is key for any business endeavour. For us at the educational institutions, society, government, and businesses are the customers. We need to make sure our products (students) are suited and useful to our customers. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do,” said Prof Chandrasekhar, quoting Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
AICTE chief coordinating officer Dr Buddha Chandrasekhar spoke about the fast-changing technology scenario and the need to keep abreast with the changes. “For instance, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning may play a key role in the making of an automobile in the future rather than an automobile engineer. The curriculums should be aligned with the latest trends and emerging technologies. This will help make the students of Andhra Pradesh a global workforce,” said Dr Chandrasekhar. He added AP is the first state in the country to implement the National Education Policy 2020.
The other experts spoke about the importance of continuous learning, negotiation skills, and digital management skills in the era of industry 4.0. The session also threw some light on ChatGPT and whether the institutions have to prevent students from using technologies like ChatGPT or take advantage of it.