Research and innovation are the key words

Updated on: Thursday, August 06, 2009

Q: Delhi College of Engineering (DCE) has recently been upgraded to DTU. How is it going to be different?
Earlier, DCE as an affiliated institution of Delhi University, was constrained due to an outdated university syllabus and shortage of quality faculty. Now, DTU will have an innovative curriculum, designed in line with the internationally renowned technological universities and try to attract the best faculty. Besides, as an autonomous university, DTU will be able to prepare its own academic and research programmes as per international standards.
My vision is to make DTU a leading 'world class technology university' — a key node in national and global knowledge network — that will empower India with its knowledge and innovations.

Q: What will be the niche programmes?
DTU has decided to add four new BTech programmes, seven new MTech programmes, one MBA programme and 50 new PhD programmes including 25 new teaching-cumresearch fellowships from the current academic year, 2009-10 .
The new programmes, with an innovated curriculum, will ensure employability of graduates by bridging the gap between a graduating engineering and a professional engineer. In the next few years, DTU is likely to introduce new undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Q: What are the innovations you plan to introduce?
DTU is a non-affiliating teaching-cum research university with a focus on education, research and innovation in the field of engineering and technology, applied sciences and management. DTU plans to introduce curriculum innovations and world-class classrooms equipped with ICT. Online technology enabled services will be one of its priorities along with value added programmes, industry-relevant research and innovations among other initiatives. DTU has already initiated its technology incubation unit and will soon be supporting commercialisation of its innovations. The focus here would be on research-driven marketable innovations.

Q: In what ways are technology institutions lacking today? How do you plan to bridge the gap?
Technology institutions in the country lack focus on quality education, research integrity and innovation. We, at DCE, have always felt that undergraduate students are a reservoir of talent and have nurtured them. In the process, we have succeeded in percolating the culture of research and innovation right down to the undergraduate level. Now that DCE is a university, we shall support the student community so that they can be at their creative best and exploit their research potential for new product development and marketable innovations.

Q: Will DTU be in a position to compete with the prestigious IITs?
Yes. DCE, even as an affiliated institution, has competed with the IITs. Innovative teaching, creative research and the campus environment are its strengths. The market demand speaks for itself. In fact, despite the recession, the 2009 graduating batch received 587 offers from 90 companies visiting the campus.

Timesofindia.indiatimes

Research and innovation are the key words

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