KTR bats for academia-industry partnerships to improve education in Telangana

Telangana IT minister KT Rama Rao wants schools, colleges and universities in the state to improve the quality of education among students by bringing in more practical knowledge and forging industry partnerships.

Speaking at the launch of an innovation platform at T-Hub, he requested the chairman of higher education council and vice chancellors of universities to build more creative labs and innovate.

The Telangana government is working to forge partnerships between academia and the industry. 

The minister, along with the IT secretary and education minister, will soon be calling all heads of academia to create programs and forge partnerships between academia and the industry.

The ultimate goal is to create meaningful programs with the industry to help students experience apprenticeship and be prepared for the industrial revolution 4.0. 

“Till we crack that piece, whatever theory you teach, however well it is taught, they will only innovate in their heads, which won’t really translate into something meaningful. So my request is let’s start forging partnerships with industries. Jayesh Ranjan (IT Secretary) is working on it and will guide you. We are looking at multiple solutions and options to further this cause,” he added.

Hyderabad has more than 35 creative labs and incubators. Building on that, KTR urged every university to create more such labs.

Citing the example of the Suzuki headquarters in Japan, where he saw over 200 young school kids at the museum understanding the different parts of a car and how it’s made, he said that such practical teaching inculcates the concept of design and manufacturing from a very early age. Schools and colleges in the state, according to him, should do something similar.

“The engineers we produce today are not truly engineers when they come out. I’m not saying they aren’t good, but they are rough around the edges. I know we are trying our bit, but I request you all to come up with some initiatives to ensure we are able to make our students and children more focused on outcomes, more focused on how to solve problems rather than being just theoretical,” he added.