The Efficacious Universities of India, 2021

October

ISSUE-05

www.theknowledgereview.com | INDIA

SPOTLIGHT

Enhancing Student and Parent Engagement with Chatbots

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Preparing for University Education Post Pandemic

Efficacious U niversities of India, 2021

The

EDITOR’S NOTE

UPHOLDING EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE WHILE BUILDING BRIGHT CAREERS

I

n today’s world, earning a degree and completing a course successfully is not enough. Individuals must opt for career-driven academic programmes, which not only endow them with in-depth theoretical knowledge, but provide them with hands-on practical-based sessions. This broadens the horizon of the learners as they gain tremendous knowledge about every subject covered in the course. They also get a clear perspective about which career to pursue and how to efficiently implement the acquired knowledge.

The quest of these students to achieve academic excellence can be completed with the assistance of the renowned universities of India. These universities are focused on exploring the potential of each student, and on transforming them into seasoned professionals. They employ leading educational methods so that the students learn and evolve dynamically.

Keeping complete track of the trending job opportunities and industry standards, these universities help the students in honing their skills. This ensures that every student excels

in everything they do and learn more so that they can achieve better outcomes. These renowned names in the education sector employ highly talented faculties who focus on nurturing the students in every possible manner.

The competent faculty members of these universities ensure that every concept is thoroughly explained to the students, while their doubts are also clarified in a timely manner.

They supervise the students throughout every step of their academic tenure, so that they complete any given course seamlessly, without any errors.

The top universities of India create an environment which fosters learning, competitiveness, cooperation, and creative thinking. They focus on allowing the students to explore their limits and also encourage them to participate in innovative projects which contribute towards their holistic personality development and transform them into responsible leaders of tomorrow.

These elite universities have sufficient budget which allows them to offer scholarships to the students. Apart from that, they also provide additional funding so that workshops, seminars, and other programs can be conducted without any hindrance.

With a focus on overall development of the students, these celebrated universities also conduct several extra-curricular activities. This ensures that the students shine and succeed beyond the regular academic curriculum.

Every student has a unique learning style. Some students learn quickly, while others take some time to understand different topics. Keeping this in perspective, the renowned universities of India instruct the faculties to conduct occasional one-on-one session with the students, which would give a clear picture of the academic progression of every student.

These decorated universities develop the courses in such a manner, that the students enjoy every session, while learning new concepts. They are motivated to build bright career pathways for the students. They mould every student, while gifting them with the ability to write their own success stories.

Hence, in this issue of The Knowledge Review, we decided to take you on a journey of exploring the most prominent universities of India, which are changing the face of the education industry with their concerted efforts. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s buckle up and embark on this voyage to discover these gems of educational excellence. T R

as

al D Ananda Kam

Ananda Kamal Das ananda@insightssuccess.com

C ntents

Articles Editor's Choice

14

Preparing for University Education Post Pandemic

Spotlight

32

Enhancing Student and Parent Engagement with Chatbots

CxO 24

Expert’s Insights Efficient College Education in Colleges

Profiles 08 18 28

SDM University Awakening the Intelligence of Students and Nurturing their Creativity

Shoolini University The Educational Powerhouse with a Vision

SRM University - AP Emerging Hub of World-class Education

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E EU n i vIndia, e rsities

Efficacious

The

of

2021

URL

Brief

amrita.edu

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is a multi-campus, multi-disciplinary research academia that is accredited ‘A++’ by NAAC and is ranked as one of the best research institutions in India

Eternal University

eternaluniversity.edu.in

Eternal University aims to emerge as a worldclass women university while focusing on diverse programmes, priorities, values, and commitments

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

iitb.ac.in

IIT Bombay is recognized worldwide as a leader in the eld of engineering education and research

Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology

mnnit.ac.in

The institute is totally committed to quality and excellence in academic pursuits

Nalanda University

nalandauniv.edu.in

The university aims to adapt to the rhythm of nature where it is located and enrich the lives of the people in the neighbourhood

REVA University

reva.edu.in

REVA University has a global outlook towards education to match the international standards of education

SDM University

sdmuniversity.edu.in

SDM University aims set the highest standards of teaching and learning by awakening the intelligence of the students and nurturing the creativity hidden in them

Shoolini University

shooliniuniversity.com

Shoolini University is a research and innovation-led campus that kindles great ideas and inspires out-of-the-box thinking

SRM University

srmuniversity.ac.in

SRM University aims to create a diverse community campus that inspires freedom and innovation

sushantuniversity.edu.in

Located in the heart of Gurugram, Sushant University is India’s largest hub of national and Fortune 500 companies

Name of the Institution Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Sushant University

Awakening the Intelligence of Students and Nurturing their Creativity xcellent academic and infrastructural facilities along with a career-oriented perspective and approach these are the hallmarks of the most efficacious universities in India. They are driven by the objective of nurturing every student and transforming them into future decisionmakers. These universities uphold academic superiority and embrace innovative curricula and teaching methodologies.

E

Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara University (SDM University). It was established on December 19, 2018, as a State Private University at Sattur, Dharwad. Its foundation stone was laid under the Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara University Act 2018. This university has been sponsored by Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Educational Society (SDM Educational Society), Ujire, Dakshina Kannada District, Karnataka.

One such renowned university, which is changing the face of the Indian education system is none other than

A non-profit making institution, SDM Educational Society has been in education and healthcare since 1903, dating back

October 2021 | 8 | www.theknowledgereview.com

The E cacious Universities of India, 2021

We maintain brilliant educational standards

The Leading Personality

Poojya Shri D Veerendra Heggade Chancellor

to the starting of Siddhavana Gurukula by the Heggades of Dharmasthala. This legacy continued and has been brought to its present glory by Poojya Shri D. Veerendra Heggade, spearheading the activities of more than 55 premier academic and professional institutions spread across Karnataka State.

The professional higher education institutions cater to different sectors such as medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy, nursing, biomedical sciences, engineering, management, law, ayurveda, naturopathy, and social sciences that adds glory to SDM University and SDM Educational Society.

The Chancellor of SDM University is Poojya Shri D Veerendra Heggade. He is also the President of SDM Educational Society. Shri D Veerendra Heggade is a visionary leader with a dream to start a Centre of Excellence in Medical Education and Healthcare for the people of the North Karnataka Region at an affordable cost. He has been the Dharmadhikari (Head) of Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala for more than five decades, which controls several temples, including the famous Shree Manjunatheshwara Temple at D h a r m a s t h a l a . S h r i D Ve e r e n d r a H e g g a d e i s a multidimensional individual, reformer, educationist, philosopher, and philanthropist. He has contributed over five decades to religion, education, social service, economic and cultural development.

Offering Equal Learning Opportunities SDM University boasts of setting an example to its fellow universities to become a forerunner in the education sector.

This university provides every student with an equal opportunity to strive, create, be capable, and become an employable resource to society. SDM University upholds its

SDM University is a state private university that strives to be a place filled with joy and inspiration. Following a complete scientific approach to every lesson taught at the university, education imbibed here is a combination of both traditional and modern values of an efficient learning environment.

Having five constituent institutions, SDM University strives to be a heaven for excellent teaching and learning, creating trained future leaders and professionals.

www.theknowledgereview.com | 9 | October 2021

Dr. Niranjan Kumar Vice Chancellor

values and commitment, which act as a ray of hope in providing quality education and healthcare service even during these turbulent and challenging times.

academic progress and participating in inter-college competitions and annual cultural events. This will help them to grow as highly skilled and confident individuals, ready to take their place in the hugely competitive world outside.

Ensuring Overall Development of the Students Taking Centre-stage in Educational Excellence SDM University maintains brilliant educational standards.

Every amenity made available to the students is meant to guide them through and deliver an effortless learning and growth curve. Being taught by individuals and professionals, who themselves are expert academicians and research scholars, every student finds role models in their very own teachers. Furthermore, the faculty members bond with students, which gives rise to strong mentor-mentee relationships. The university emphasizes the importance and prominence of proactive research and innovation activities on the campus.

Focused on all-around individuals of tomorrow, the infrastructure consists of state-of-the-art libraries and laboratories, an indoor stadium, multiple playgrounds, cultural clubs, and so on. The management’s prime focus is to let the students explore their inner talents by achieving top

The prime objective of SDM University is to provide quality Higher Education and healthcare services at an affordable cost to the people of Karnataka. The management is very keen to produce good quality doctors and professionals by giving them proper professional training and shaping the students to become leaders in their areas of interest. SDM University emphasizes the overall personality development of the students so that they can succeed as professionals in any part of the country and abroad. It nurtures the students in such a manner that they are recognized all over India and abroad. The university offers dynamic, practical training sessions while also allowing the students to serve the population of rural India.

The university is open to adopting all the new regulations of the National Education Policy. Although it is now a health

October 2021 | 10 | www.theknowledgereview.com

science-oriented university, SDM University has a broad vision to open the branches of non-health sciences institutions. It aims to offer courses which go in accordance with the National Education Policy. The university’s Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor are firm believers of the service motto. Accordingly, they want SDM University to be one of the country's centres of excellence in higher education.

In 2021, SDM College of Dental Sciences received the fourth rank all over India and bagged the fifth rank in 2020 as per the Outlook I.care survey.

Padma Vibhushan Awardee, Poojya Shri D Veerendra Heggade, the Chancellor of SDM University, was recognized as Asia’s Greatest Leader of the year 2020-21 by the Asia One Magazine and URS Media.

The Peak of Achievements Throughout its illustrious journey of imparting exceptional educational and career development facilities, SDM University has made many noteworthy accomplishments.

SDM University is ranked No. 1 by the Outlook – I care survey in two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021 under the Private Emerging University. As per the Education Post IIRF Rankings, the university bagged rank No. 1 in 2020 and rank No. 2 in 2021.

It was recognized as Asia’s Greatest Brand of the year 202021 in a survey conducted by Asia One Magazine. SDM Medical College received the 36th rank all over India as per the Education Post IIRF Ranking.

Our objective is to provide the quality higher education and healthcare services at an a ordable cost to the people of Karnataka

Preparing Students for a Bright Future

We aim to contribute to the society by providing quality doctors and professionals who would serve the nation responsibly SDM Medical College and Hospital has been recently awarded as Best Hospital by the European Business Assembly. The Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Niranjan Kumar has been awarded as the Best Manager of the Year by the European Business Assembly.

The primary intention of SDM University is to contribute to society by providing quality doctors and professionals who would serve the nation responsibly. To support this objective, the management is keen to provide all facilities to clinical and non-clinical students and students of other specialities. It works towards creating a conducive environment for studies with all international standard amenities. The university provides different types of non-academic infrastructure such as students clubs, student research forums, sports and games and a lot more.

SDM University has five streams of education, viz. medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy, nursing, and biomedical sciences. It does not discriminate among the students while providing infrastructure and other related facilities. The management's vision is to train the students with the best of the faculty available and cutting-edge equipment available in the country and abroad. Accordingly, when the students graduate from SDM Unviersity, they gain the confidence to take on any challenging task in this competitive world. The campus is a lush-green and clean campus located in the central part of Karnataka with easy accessibility.

SDM Medical College and Hospital has also attained NAAC recognitions.

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Editor’s Choice

Preparing for

University EDUCATION

Post Pandemic I

n a post-pandemic world, there will be a shortage of workers with the knowledge and skills needed to reskill and rebuild erudite communities. To fill this void, institutions of higher education must begin preparing students for a post-pandemic career landscape. At present, most institutions of higher education have a considerable number of resources, including innovative degree programs and experienced faculty members that can assist in restructuring the future workforce.

With the pandemic going down in full swing, universities around the world must re-evaluate where they are currently at concerning educating students and preparing them for the future unknown.

www.theknowledgereview.com | 15 | October 2021

The Continued Form of Remote Learning It’s a well-known fact that traditional education can't provide quality education to today’s fast-growing population. We just cannot keep up with the global demand for high-quality learning, which is why digital tools will play a far more important role in our lives than what we could probably imagine just a year ago. In the world of digitalization and communication, the phenomenon of remote learning will continue to play an important role in our lives.

The Rise in EdTech According to prominent research, the global EdTech market size was valued at USD 89.49 billion in 2020 and is expected to rise with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.9% from 2021 to 2028.

These numbers tell an interesting story and shed light on the growth and potential of EdTech startups. Regardless of the individual startups that sustain the trajectory, they are on, it is clear that EdTech has become a thriving industry in India, and companies both at home and abroad are taking notice.

The mix of young talent combined with a flourishing education market makes for a promising outlook for the EdTech industry.

reap its full potential. The challenges in online learning need to be identified, and appropriate solutions must be formulated. It would help universities enumerate these main challenges facing them in their journey towards being fully automated for efficiency and effectiveness.

Going forward, the need for continuous transformation is crucial for institutions of learning like universities that want to ensure that they remain relevant not only to their local but also global contexts. Universities around the globe are expected to adopt digital tools and systems that will enable them to deliver higher education effectively in spite of geographical constraints. However, no one formula or blueprint fits all institutions; hence, each must find its unique blend of old and new technologies based on its specific local conditions.

Offering Real-world Experience to Graduates Universities have not always been the go-to places for gaining skills that are helpful in one’s career. Employers have often grown frustrated with graduates who lack practical experience, causing some employers to think twice before hiring the best-credentialed candidate. This frustration is beginning to subside though, with employers beginning to appreciate graduates who bring with them real-world experiences.

Overcoming Challenges of Online Learning Even in the case of online learning, students face many challenges. Any student who has undergone this experience will be able to tell you about the numerous problems they faced. Lack of timely course material, inaccessible exam centers, ineffective video lectures, and poor internet connectivity are some of the problems that many students complain about when learning online.

For those who want to stand apart from the competition, one way to do that is through real-world experience. With the work students do as part of the program, they will gain critical insight into how businesses operate and grow. This can help them as they apply for jobs or begin their entrepreneurial ventures.

Hence, e-learning cannot be counted as a substitute for traditional college education where quality and classroom environment matters the most. Students and parents typically need to choose between online and brick-andmortar learning institutions. Having said that, there are various challenges related to online learning that students and parents ought to consider.

Offering Certifications and Stackable Credentials With the explosive growth in online education, certifications and degrees do come with a few advantages.

Properly utilized, an undergraduate degree program and a set of accredited certifications can be all a student needs to succeed in a job interview. The right combination of credentials—a stackable credential system—can increase the graduates' chances of landing a job and advancing in their careers.

Digital Transformation of Universities Despite these improvements, however, the online learning experience remains difficult, opening up challenges for universities when promoting quality educational experiences in an online environment.

As the world struggles to recover from the pandemic, many students are preparing to follow their dreams by pursuing higher education. To help make your transition smoother, the above-mentioned points make sure that students and universities alike can get off to a good start.

Therefore, despite the positive aspects of the open online learning program, a lot of research still needs to be done to

October 2021 | 16 | www.theknowledgereview.com

Shoolini The Educational Powerhouse with a Vision

L

ocated in Himachal Pradesh, only 90 minutes away from Chandigarh, Shoolini University encapsulates the dream of academicians to provide high-impact, high-quality education to less privileged students of Himachal and India through research, innovative learning and community service.

Founded by Dr P. K. Khosla (Founder and Chancellor), a retired Vice-Chancellor and Oxford Alumnus, and mentored by scientists such as

Dr M. S. Swaminathan, Shoolini is today one of India’s top 25 private universities.

Shoolini University is a leading private university with a focus on research and innovation. Hence, today the university has an H-Index of >80 and more than 650 patents have been filed by students and faculty. The School of Engineering & Technology at Shoolini University has received several accolades since its inception only 12 years ago. Some of them are as follows: Ÿ ‘Diamond Rating’ in the prestigious QS I-GAUGE rankings Ÿ NIRF Rank No. 103

Ÿ 25 Most Innovative Engineering Colleges in India - Higher Education Digest Ÿ Certified as recognized Social Entrepreneurship, Swachhta and Rural Engagement Cell (SES REC) institution. Ÿ A recognized member of The Institution of Engineers, India Ÿ Outlook-ICARE University Ranking 2020: 16th in top State Private Universities Ÿ Career 360: Faculty of Engineering & Technology rated as AAAA Institution Ÿ Education World, India’s leading Education Magazine, has ranked Shoolini University as No. 1 in

Students are encouraged to publish papers and file patents under both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The department is now working on the mission of ‘One Student, One Patent’

October 2021 | 18 | www.theknowledgereview.com

The Efficacious Universities of India, 2021 India for Online and IT-enabled teaching Ÿ Atal Innovation Rankings 2020, GOI - Shooliani is ranked in 6-25 in India

amongst the top 50 premier engineering institutions in the country by 2025.

There are two schools of engineering at Shoolini University: Ÿ The School of Mechanical, Civil and Electrical Engineering Ÿ Yogananda School of AI, Computer & Data Sciences

To transform the Faculty of Engineering and Technology by reimagining and reshaping the engineering education, in order to produce highly sought after and Industry 4.0 ready engineers by 2025.

Vision

The Academic Rollout

To contribute substantially towards realizing the vision of being amongst the top 200 universities by 2022 and continue to excel to achieve a ranking

Shoolini University offers some cutting-edge programmes and specialisations as part of the department of engineering. The

Mission

institution offers BTech programmes in advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, automobile engineering, civil engineering, big data, cloud computing, cybersecurity, etc.

Starting in 2021, Shoolini University has also launched NEP-derived BTech programmes that will offer students the flexibility of choosing major and minor courses of interest. Students enjoy multiple and flexible exits during their 4 years of BTech. With this, students can exit during the course of the programme. In that case, they will be given a certificate during the first year, a diploma in the second year, finishing with a degree in the final year.

Shoolini University has a mission to be among the top 200 universities of the world. The university is doing that with high impact research and quality student output

The Centre of Innovation Shoolini University is known for its focus on innovation. Hence, students are encouraged to publish papers and file patents under both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The department is now working on the mission of ‘One Student, One Patent’.

The students are supported in their journey by a team of highly qualified faculty of overachievers; 7 Shoolini researchers are in the top 2% global list of scientists published by Stanford University.

The department is also recognized for its global tie-ups and industryacademic collaborations with institutions such as: Ÿ PEC-SIEMENS Centre of Excellence in Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh Ÿ Centre for Excellence in Visionary

Learning Community of India (VLCI) Ÿ AWS Academy Ÿ IBM Certifications Ÿ Coursera certifications Education backed by world-class research In 2020, Scimago's global ranking listed Shoolini at 536 and 32 amongst the world and Indian institutes respectively, based on research.

Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rankings also featured Shoolini as 2nd rank in research in India and 14th rank in Asia for its 2021 ranking.

In September 2020, according to an annual report released by the Office of Intellectual Rights, India, the first in the list of patent filers are the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

However, the patents filed by all the 23 IITs in the country have been merged

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Awards and Achievements 1. Amongst highest Citation Index in India 2. Ranked #1 in India and #14 in Asia in citational research

by QS 2021 3. Ranked #18 among all Indian institutions in Nature Research Index 2020 4. Ranked #34 among all Indian institutions in research

by SciVal/ SCIMAGO Rankings 2020 5. Ranked #3 in India among all academic institutions in patent filing by the India Patent Office 2019 6. Ranked #53 among all Indian institutions in research

by NIRF 2020 7. Ranked #2 in India in hindex among all institutions established after 2009 8. Ranked #6-25 among all private Indian institutions by Atal Innovation Rankings 9. Ranked in Top 300 QS Asia 2021

Our five pillar model – how we have built Shoolini To build Shoolini University into a top 200 global university by 2022 High calibre faculty Strong Alliances and linkages with industry and academia

Deserving students

Inspiring infrastructure

Committed and transparent governance

to declare the group of institutions as the top patent filer. This makes Shoolini third in the country, and first in Himachal Pradesh, in filing patents by academic institutes and universities across India.

The Cultivated Educator The founder, Dr Khosla, firmly believes that no institute of higher learning can become great without research. It was this concern that sowed the seeds for setting up a

specialized, research-based private university.

His efforts, along with the team of co-founders like Vishal Anand and Atul Khosla, have helped Shoolini University become a recognized name

www.theknowledgereview.com | 21 | October 2021

for research. According to the latest QS Asian Rankings, Shoolini University was ranked No. 300 in Asia. For research, Shoolini was right behind IISc Bangalore in India.

In terms of Citation Index, Shoolini University stood No. 1 in India and No. 14 in Asia.

Enduring Hardships Shoolini University started with a small seed capital and grew organically to become one of the leading institutions of higher learning in less than 10 years. A challenge was to invite young students to join a university that was not located in the cities. However, with the green and safe environs, Shoolini University quickly became a university of choice for students from all over India. Today, 60% of Shoolini University’s students come from outside the country. The institution is proud to have almost every state of India represented at the campus through promising students.

The EdTech Solution

12000+ users so far with 650+ courses completed,” commented the proud founder, Dr P. K. Khosla. eUniv combines asynchronous learning that includes quizzes and assignments with synchronous learning for live and interactive lectures. The students of Shoolini University developed an AI tool named Siqandar.ai that helps students to prepare for viva voce impeccably.

The Institute on a Mission Shoolini University has a mission to be among the top 200 universities of the world. The university is doing that with high impact research and quality student output. With the introduction of NEP programmes and well-equipped labs, the university hopes to become a leader in multidisciplinary learning.

Shoolini University initiated online classes for students well before the necessity arose due to a Covid-19 related lockdown. With the e-learning platform, Shoolini was ahead of the curve as it had adopted more than 3000 lectures to make them available online.

Additionally, all of Shoolini’s students were doing at least one elective online.

This made the adaption of the e-learning platform easy and 100% delivery of online learning for the entire community at Shoolini a breeze.

“We are happy to share that Shoolini’s online platform (eUniv) has covered

October 2021 | 22 | www.theknowledgereview.com

Efficient College

Education in

Colleges Sohan Tiwade Corporate Soft Skills Trainer & Professional Speaker, The Edge Asst. Prof. Sanjay Ghodawat University, Kolhapur

“

T

he function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of education.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

We probably all are aware of the anecdotal story about how a university professor came to know of a wise man who was revered by all. He thought of paying him a visit. One day he visited the home where the wise man lived. He expressed his wish to the wise man to learn more from him so that he could gain wisdom in life too. The wise man welcomed him and offered him tea. When the tea pot was served, the wise man offered to fill the cup of the professor.

He kept on pouring even when the cup was full up to the brim. The tea overflowed and the professor was upset. He questioned the wise man’s intentions of pouring the tea.

The wise man replied, “If the cup is already full and I pour it will surely overflow.” What he meant was that if one is to learn something, he has to first come

October 2021 | 24 | www.theknowledgereview.com

Expert’s Insights empty without any preconceived notions and then only can he truly learn.

It is obvious that our age-old learning method whether in universities, colleges or schools is falling short to keep with the advances in the 21st century. Though the new education policy introduced by the government is a welcome step, there is a lot to still consider when we impart education as educators at every level of students’ learning. Here are some of the changes that need to be addressed.

Focus on conceptual learning: Education system in India is focussed on rote learning. The exams are conducted in a manner that encourages this trend. If a student can rote all that is there in the syllabus and reproduce it in her written and viva she is considered to be eligible. Rote learning doesn’t guarantee real understanding.

So, our education system should rather focus on seeing whether the student has really understood the concept. I have come across many Electrical Engineering graduates who really can’t distinguish between the Alternate and Direct current and its application for domestic use. Probably these students could write the definitions of the current types in their exam papers but really didn’t understand the concept and the difference in its application.

That is what rote learning does.

Interdisciplinary Approach – Our education system has been prejudiced and favoured some subjects like Science, Mathematics etc over others like Languages, Philosophy, Social Sciences etc. This should stop. In his book, ‘Emotional Intelligence’ Daniel Goleman tells how there are 12 Intelligences viz. musical, visualspatial, linguistic, verbal, logical, kinaesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, existential etc in human beings and a student could be better at any one of them. But

sadly our education system considers only intelligent quotient that too which is more focussed on the logic and all our education system really considers this as all in all like the sun in the solar system. Everything else revolves around this. So today we brand a student whose logical abilities are good as ‘clever’ and the others as ‘average’ and thus we really do more harm than good unintentionally to our future generation who could impact their world positively if only we had better way of evaluating their multiple intelligences. Today it’s a welcome change to see some universities adopting multi-disciplinary approach and offer both major and minor subjects to make the curricula more inclusive.

Exam system – One exam or two can either make a permanent impact on a student’s mind that she is either clever or just an average struggler. I believe that the present exam system that is taken either quarterly, semester – wise or yearly should be abolished. There are better ways to evaluate student’s performance like projects, initiative, conceptual understanding quiz, leadership abilities, development of communication skills, participation in co-curricular and extra – curricular activities etc. We are all aware of the fable by George Reavis ‘Animal School’; the rabbit who is good at running fails in swimming, the eagle who is great at flying remains average in climbing trees. The moral of the story is ‘Let the rabbit run and let the eagle fly.’ The word ‘Education’ comes from the Latin word, ‘Educare’ and it means brining out that which is already present in us. So our education system and exams should be built on ways that stops fitting a person in a certain mould and helps the student be himself or herself and be better at what they are good at.

Education as a means and not an end: Many times the real purpose of

education system is lost. I started this article by quoting Martin Luther King Jr. who said education should encourage thinking intensively and not just building intelligence but character too. I believe that our present education system completely blots out the ‘character’ part. D. L. Moody, the great American evangelist, once said, “If a man is stealing nuts and bolts from a railway track, and, in order to change him, you send him to college, at the end of his education, he will steal the whole railway track.” What does this imply? We all know that well educated people take to becoming terrorists or involve in corruption and other illegal activities. That’s the parody of our present education that we need to address too. Many times, people when confronted with subjects like ‘Moral Science’ or ‘Value Education’ take it lightly and dismiss it. They feel it is not practical. That’s a real failure of our present education system. If our education fails to make people more humane, then we have lost the real purpose of education. No, the purpose of education is not to get a job, to be rich, to be famous those are all secondary purposes. If we stop focussing on building students’ characters, we will be guilty of what Jesus Christ said, “For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul?” Let’s stop putting the cart before the bullocks.

Education is a means to build better humans for a better world.

Conclusion: Dronacharaya coached Arjuna to be the best archer. He indeed became one of the best but there was also Eklavya who coached himself without a teacher and became better.

What does this tell us? Our education system maybe in the present churning out ‘Arjunas’ that we are proud of but at the same time guilty of leaving out the many ‘Eklavyas’. It’s time we examine ourselves and our education system for a better world!

www.theknowledgereview.com | 25 | October 2021

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SRM University - AP Emerging Hub of World-class Education

I

ndia has had a prolific history of quality education since ancient times. It was a global hub of education for centuries, may it be Taxila or Nalanda. Since antiquity, knowledge was handed down from one generation to another through memorization by word of mouth. But the worldwide prevalence of the European modern education system completely transformed the traditional ways of education and highlighted the need of learning with a scientific attitude. This led to the revolution in the Indian education sector and many universities were established after independence.

The SRM University - AP-AP (SRMAP) is one such university, which is known for its excellence in the education sector. SRM University AP-AP is a multi-stream researchintensive university with a focus on diverse fields. It was the first educational institute to be established in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, with a

vision of providing quality education in India. This nascent university focuses on delivering next-generation leaders, visionaries, scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to the country. Thus, the university adopts a multi-disciplinary approach with modernised curricula.

creativity, and entrepreneurship. Ÿ To deliver world-class researchbased education, creating new knowledge and innovations. Ÿ To provide an inspiring and stimulating environment for a diverse campus community of faculty and students.

Aims and Objectives As a leader in tertiary education, SRMAP has been challenging the traditions. The university thrives on bringing quality education within reach of its students. The university believes that their meritorious students can do wonders if they are given proper support and guidance. The university wants to emerge as a world-class university in creating and disseminating knowledge. The quality of education and service provided will be of the highest order. The university has the following motives: Ÿ To develop an inter-disciplinary institute combining academic rigour, the excitement of discovery,

Pillars of the University Chancellor Dr T. R. Paarivendhar is an Indian politician and Indhiya Jananayaga Katchi MP in the 17th Lok Sabha from Perambalur Lok Sabha constituency, Tamil Nadu. He is well known as the Founder Chairman of the SRM Group of Educational Institutions.

Dr P. Sathyanarayanan is the President of SRM University - AP. As a young and dynamic entrepreneur, he lives by his motto, “Think big, do big, achieve big”. True to his motto, Dr Sathyanarayanan has been instrumental in the expansion of SRM’s footprint in higher education in India. He is

The Efficacious Universities of India, 2021

currently spearheading SRM University - AP. Professor V S Rao, Vice-Chancellor of SRM University - AP-AP, is an eminent academician who has been the vanguard of leading excellence in higher technical education in India.

Bonding Ties with Advanced Universities The SRM University - AP-AP has partnered with the world's best names for various educational purposes. The university has collaboration with the University of California-Berkeley, University of Wisconsin-Madison, North-eastern University-USA, Flinders University-Australia, Asia University-Taiwan and many more, to ensure global exposure for the students and the faculty.

The Undergraduate Research Opportunity is the paramount experience that students gain during their undergraduate studies. The curricula of various courses in the university are developed in collaboration with MIT and Harvard Business School online. The course structure followed in this university is different from any other general degree college since it has been optimised.

Peeping Inside the University The faculty of SRM University - APAP are best in class with a PhD from reputed national and international universities including IISc, IIT, IIM, IISER etc. In addition, SRM University - AP-AP has research collaboration with 17 top institutes and laboratories in India and abroad, including Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (India), The University of Newcastle (Australia), Max-Planck-Institute for Polymer Research (Mainz, Germany), Weizmann Institute of Science, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), IIT Madras, etc.

The majestic campus of the university was designed by renowned American architecture firm Perkins & Will. The air-conditioned classrooms are equipped with smart boards, projectors, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Five hostels for boys and girls are also situated on the campus with 24-hour water, electricity and Wi-Fi connectivity, refreshment corners, night canteens, gymnasium, common room, and every other amenity to help students concentrate on their studies.

Engraving a Road for the Pioneers Being an educational institution, SRM University - AP-AP aims to produce not only graduates but the icons of tomorrow. The university tries to bring out the best in the students and make them realise their true potential to come up with a career of their choice.

Be it higher education, research, entrepreneurship, or jobs in a reputed company.

SRM University - AP envisions delivering able Samaritans to the country, who will be competent enough to create a better and sustainable

SRM University - AP envisions delivering able Samaritans to the country, who will be competent enough to create a better and sustainable future

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Dr P Sathyanarayanan President

Prof VS Rao Vice-Chancellor

As a leader in tertiary education, SRMAP has been challenging traditions

future. Apart from regular academic activities, the university offers Semester Abroad Programme to ensure global exposure to the students. E-cell and technology business incubator, hatch lab research centres are dedicated to producing the next generation entrepreneurs.

Highlighting Excellence The nascent university began its journey only four years ago. The maiden batch of the university graduated this year with 100% placement. The highest salary of the maiden season was 50 LPA with twin foreign placements, and the average pay package was 7 LPA. The budding entrepreneurs of the university have founded a start-up OurEye.ai, which generated over $120,000 to fuel their mission – Bringing Camera to Life.

In the last three years, the faculty and students of SRM University - AP-AP have published over 500 papers in

reputed journals and conferences. The university has published 22 patents so far and has been granted 36 projects with an outlay of 17.49 crores. Also, the university has been ranked second in ‘Top Emerging Engineering Institute – Telangana & AP’, in the Times Engineering Institute Ranking Survey 2021.

Braving the Pandemic To fight the unprecedented crisis, SRM University - AP-AP formed an internal COVID-19 SOP committee with renowned doctors, professors, biologists, and administrative personnel. Since the beginning of this pandemic, the committee has been supervising the situation and providing the necessary steps and measures. The university strictly follows the rules and regulations to maintain hygiene.

The medical team is also closely connected with government officials to provide institutionalised quarantine/hospitalisation. Helpline numbers are also introduced to help students, faculty, and staff at any moment. The SRM-AP’s students proved their mettle during the trying

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time. P Mohan Aditya, BTech mechanical engineering student, was granted design copyright for his costeffective face shield.

Young researchers from mechanical engineering – S.K Hassan, M. Vijaya Bhargava, Jithin Peram, and Meghana Bonthu, have added one more laurel to SRM University - AP-AP by publishing a patent on a comprehensive disinfection system during the pandemic for personal protective equipment (PPE) to safeguard people. Bitragunta Vivek Vardhan, a final year student from the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, has filed design copyright for developing a ‘UV Ray Wooden Sanitizer Disinfection Box’.

Looking Ahead From engineering to basic sciences and from liberal arts to management, SRMAP's vision is to emerge as a world-class university. Envisioned to be a university of world-class standards, SRM University - AP is looking to be a globally connected and regionally transformative centre, for research and education in the heart of Andhra Pradesh.

SRM University - AP-AP has ambitious plans for the future. Schools for medicine and law have been proposed and will come into existence in near future. In line with National Education Policy-2020, a Centre for Education with undergraduate and

postgraduate programmes in education will be established to train the teachers and educationists of tomorrow. The university further has elaborated plans to groom young minds to become entrepreneurs.

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Spotlight

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Enhancing

Student

Parent Engagement and

with

Chatbots

C

hatbots and Artificial Intelligence have the capacity and are already disrupting the education industry.

For students, access to such technology contributes to more engaging and interactive learning. They can now learn better with personalized and more active interaction with the help of AI technology.

On the other side of things, Chatbots work with human instructors to provide an interactive digital learning platform for students, giving them a real-time interactive environment. They allow ease of communication, especially in time-consuming tasks that demand attention from teachers with multiple classes, such as grading papers and providing support to students.

General Overview of Chatbots in Education Chatbots for education can appear in myriad forms and serve myriad purposes. Moderators, teachers’ assistants, and administrative staff members will all find benefit in the utilization of chatbots. They can also utilize and build upon the existing platforms provided by educational institutions to curate their lessons.

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There are several benefits that chatbots can provide educators, including increased accessibility to students, improved customer service, and better engagement. While these tools should not replace the one-on-one learning experience, modern technology has made it easier for institutions to engage students asynchronously. This allows for quicker response time and helps prevent potential problems in a learning environment.

Chatbots Streamline Workflows Chatbots are essentially software programs that answer questions posed by users, via text or voice. The information conveyed accurately represents the knowledge of the organization. Chatbots can provide automated data, act as assistants to staff, or present information in ways that divert the time and attention of the students.

The main advantage of chatbots is that they can be trained to handle even complex tasks. Since chatbots do not need to be supervised, they will prompt staff members about an upcoming task and complete it on their own, achieving a high-efficiency level.

Chatbots can Assist Teachers AI-based Chatbots and virtual assistants can provide valuable assistance to teachers and institutions of learning.

They can create a personalized learning experience for students by providing access to learning resources and connecting them with experts whenever required. These AI chatbots can also engage students in their language, as some chatbots already talk in fun and entertaining ways as compared to human teachers/online tutors.

Chatbots can Assist Students Students have 24×7 access to anytime help, guidance, information about courses, best placements, the list goes on.

They don’t have to wait in long queues to talk to a counselor or wait for an e-mail response. An education chatbot can ease the pressure on students, their parents, or guardians. It can also lead to better retention rates when it comes to online courses.

require their time as well. This results in a disjointed relationship between both parties as neither gather as much information as they could by providing timely feedback, thereby resulting in a lack of an ideal learning experience.

Herein, education bots can assist in improving the overall quality of teaching for an online course. Educators can create a bot with the desired functionality to perform any number of tasks. One of the most innovative ways of using chatbots in education is through feedback collection i.e., get the feeling about what learners think about their course, platform, or institution.

Chatbots Increase Engagement Chatbots can reduce a lot of pressure on a school’s academic support staff. They can answer students’ questions 24/7, improving customer service and speeding up response times for urgent inquiries. The software will continually refine its responses to match the type of information requested by the student. Content can also be personalized to match a student’s needs or learning style. This customization ensures each student is getting the assistance they need without distractions from other subjects.

Chatbots for the Modern Generation of Students Education can be relevant and rewarding only when it is in tune with the times and addresses the present and future demands of our society. The use of chatbots in education will make learning more interesting and fun for students by helping them explore different paths based on their interests, aptitudes, and learning goals. This is a transformative move towards personalized learning delivered with the help of technology.

AI Chatbots for education has made a positive impact on the learning environment and the way students learn at a younger age. Chatbots can personalize learning experiences by enabling students to have a broader range of interactions with teachers, mentors, and peers via relevant information at their fingertips.

Chatbots Facilitate a Smart Feedback Collection System While at first glance there may seem to be an efficient way of getting feedback, there’s a lot of information being lost.

Students may not be comfortable sharing their doubts and questions online, especially if the teacher conducts sporadic evaluations. And teachers might not have time to provide feedback to all their students immediately after an evaluation because other administrative responsibilities

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