New director of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras Kamakoti Veezhinathan wants to focus on enhancing the reach of online learning and engage children in raising their interest in science and research.
Mr. Kamakoti took charge as the director ofthe Indian Institute of Technology Madrason Monday from his predecessor Bhaskar Ramamurthi, who completed 10 years as director.
Registrar Jane Prasad, Deans, and other officials, besides the Institute’s board of governing members and the chairman of the board of governors Pawan Goenka participated virtually.
Mr. Kamakoti, a faculty in the Institute’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering, has been the associate Dean for Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (ICSR), IIT Madras. He holds numerous positions in various government agencies and bodies including as a member of the National Security Advisory Board.
Mr. Kamakoti said his focus would be to retain the national ranking of the institute while striving to enhance academic and research excellence. The institute would engage more collaboratively with the State and Union governments to make its work translational and relevant to address the needs of the nation, the State and its people, he said.
His plans include enhancing the reach and impact of online education and distance learning; collaboratively working with school education boards in strengthening a holistic curriculum; skill development programmes for high quality vocational training, increasing interaction with schoolchildren to encourage interest in science and research.
The Director said he planned to introduce industry-oriented M.Tech programmes for international students besides increasing the multidisciplinary quotient in curriculum with special emphasis on languages, philosophy, art, environmental and value-based education.
He has proposed to enhance industry participation and increase adjunct and faculty-of-practice positions. Translational research would focus on problems of social relevance. regenerative agriculture, industry 4.0, medical technology and smart civil construction technology.
As the chairman of a task force on leveraging artificial intelligence for development across various fields he has proposed to introduce efficient and effective governance through AI driven hyper automation.
Mr. Kamakoti led the Research team that designed and booted up India’s first Indigenously-developed microprocessor ‘SHAKTI’ that can be used in mobile computing devices and networking systems. It can reduce reliance on imported microprocessors in the Communications and Defence Sectors.
