The Higher Education Review

Imagine a group of engineering students working shoulder-to-shoulder with faculty and industries to research and create revolutionary innovations, and another set of students empowered to embark on the journey of entrepreneurship. Not long ago, these scenarios were deemed surreal and viable only in developed economies.

But, with world-class research centres and a myriad of opportunities offered at B.K. Birla Institute of Engineering & Technology (BKBIET), Pilani a leading academic institution in India, a multitude of students are living the dream of becoming future-proof professionals.

“We are proud that we have helped industries of our own with technologies through our research and ingenious ideas. For example, our students have conducted a long list of experiments for a period of around 2-3 years and helped the cement industry convert waste materials into utilitarian products,” adds Dr. Prasanna Kumar S. M., Director, BKBIET.

Not just research facilities, but serving as a jewel to the educational hub - Pilani - BKBIET has been proactive in offering a perfect combination of advanced infrastructure and facilities, a flexible learning milieu, and, most importantly, quality education.

Born as a collective endeavor of late. Basant Kumar Birla - an eminent visionary leader, author, and industrialist - and the Krishnarpan Charity Trust in 2007, the BKBIET has grown to own a campus of 7.86 lakh square feet filled with students of diverse ethnicities. The institute offers a variety of courses in UG and PG programs, adhering to the norms of AICTE, New Delhi and Bikaner Technical University, Bikaner.

However, the most notable part of all is that its engineering program encompasses not just

the regular courses but also the fastest- growing areas like semiconductors, data science, and artificial intelligence. “We strive to guide students to choose the in-demand domains that hold a promising future. Fueling the same, AICTE even granted approval for us to start a new program on VLSI design without us having to apply", proclaims Dr. Prasanna.

While the facilities like state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, and an exclusive library complement the academics, the well-managed hostels, cultural and creativity centres, clubs, auditoriums, indoor and outdoor sports facilities, gymnasium, and medical centres further make the ecosystem learner-friendly.

Hired purely based on their knowledge, the top-notch faculty, on the other hand, have excellent educational and industrial professional qualifications. Co-ordinated by the principal, Prof. (Dr.) Anil Kumar Sharma and guided by veterans like K. K. Pareek, the team consists of young, yet long-term members, among whom most have Ph.D.s and master’s degrees, while some are currently pursuing their doctoral degrees.

Creating and Rewarding Professionals
Fostering a research-intensive environment, BKBIET strives to continuously upskill its teachers as well its students through multiple certification courses, and faculty and student development & exchange programs. Additionally, it is also one of the centres for universal human values (UHV).

The campus also owns the Birla Professional Training & Research Centre, which propels its students and faculty not just to stay current but also to contribute equally to the domains through their innovative research projects. In addition to the courses at the centre, the students are also endowed with access to on-campus industrial training. The institute also has a variety of clubs to enable inter-disciplinary learning.

Being a part of the eminent Birla Group gives BKBIET a multitude of perks, including paid internships for students in its companies spread across industries.

The interns are provided with all facilities, like accommodation and food. The organization also has MOUs with around 50 foreign laboratories and universities, including Europe and Thailand, creating a platform to utilize their cutting-edge stature. “But the main criteria or objective of forming MOUs would be to support each other in the best way possible.

For instance, recently, two French students worked for 75 days in our institute on a potential breakthrough,” shares Dr. Prasanna. Along with internships, the institute also possesses an exceptional track record of 100 percent placement rates, high placement packages, and pre-placement support.

With placement experts onboard, the engineering students get to undergo trainings from the first year itself, honing intricate skills like CV writing, communication, and interview etiquette, before acquiring domain and industry-specific skills.

"Fostering a research-intensive environment, BKBIET strives to continuously upskill its teachers as well its students through multiple certification courses and faculty & student development & exchange programs"

Present and Beyond
Recognizing the students' academic achievements, BKBIET offers several scholarships, including the coveted Sarala Birla scholarship. Owing to such student-first endeavors, the institute boasts a 100 percent student admission rate, gold medals, and a few standard accreditations.

“We are soon going to get accredited for 60 percent of courses and 5-6 programs and aim to avail ourselves of a Ph.D. centre as well.

We have sent the applications to the university to transform three of our departments - electrical, electronic, and computer divisions - into centres for excellence, which we are sure to achieve soon,” claims Dr. Prasanna. With such positive attributes, the institution is gearing up to become autonomous in the near future.