Aspirants to the Indian Institute of Technology Madras can now reach out to its alumni through a website, www.AskIITM.com.
The website, launched on Friday, aims to answer questions on academics, campus culture, faculty and placement within 48 hours. The responses would be shared over email or WhatsApp as well. The website already has answers to certain commonly received questions. Aspirants can choose from a variety of sections, including campus, lifestyle, academics, placement and IIT-M advantage.
Some questions that have been answered in the lifestyle section include if the campus is safe for women students; is Jain food available on campus; is it necessary to know Tamil; what kind of city is Chennai; what is the climate of Chennai like; what measures does IIT-M have to safeguard the mental health of students; is there curfew on campus; where can I go to pray within the campus?
Institute director V. Kamakoti said aspirants seek answers from social media but it tends to be confusing. “The need for a credible source of information is very high. I am thrilled that the passionate alumni of this great institute is providing this via AskIITM,” he said.
The questions will be answered by a team of alumni and student volunteers. New questions would also figure on the website, officials said. Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations) said the alumni had first-hand experience of the institution and placements after graduation and hence was best placed to answer questions.
The IIT Madras Alumni Association would be hosting interaction events in Chennai, Hyderabad ad Vijayawada from September 2 to 4. Candidates writing the Joint Engineering Examination have been invited to attend the events and ask questions of the director and participating alumni. Virtual tours of the campus and departments are scheduled on September 10-11.
