The Higher Education Review

The technical Education system has changed a lot over the past few years, becoming more competitive and dynamic with each passing day. Still, in the current context where the majority of the students are lacking the needed skills that are required by the industry, importance should be given to skill-based education. Giving importance to offering job-oriented education, Adichunchanagiri Institute of Technology (AIT) has developed into one of the most sought after technical education study destinations in the country. AIT was established in 1980 under Adichunchanagiri Shikshana Trust and is affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum which is recognized by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi and accredited by National Board of Accreditation (NBA). AIT thrives with a vision to develop Adichunchanagiri Institute of Technology as a center of excellence and to strive for continuous improvement of technical education and human resource advancement. Striving to achieve excellence in education, entrepreneurship and innovation by producing engineers with high ethical standards, integrity and credibility, AIT has made it their mission to offer class-leading education to their students.

Promising to Offer the Best

AIT is an ISO 9001:2008 certified institute that operates with the objective of offering quality education, training and research while providing quality technical education and molding the younger generation with the spirit of service to society. Currently, AIT has programs in computer science and engineering, information science and engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, and electronics and communication engineering. “At AIT, we strive to create industry-ready engineers and not just engineering graduates. To achieve this along with the curriculum framed by the University, hands on training will

be provided to all the students from the industry experts of all domains. Industrial visits are arranged for students to familiarize themselves with the working environment of industries. Students are provided internships at reputed companies during their 3rd and 4th year which enhances students’ academic, career and personal development. Also, academic research is tuned to bridge the gap between academia and industry. To enable the students to appreciate the importance of teamwork and to assist in understanding the distinctions of corporate grooming and dressing, corporate etiquette and the ethical dilemmas present in business, soft skills and leadership training programs are also being held at AIT”, says Dr. C.T. Jayadeva, Principal, AIT.

Students at AIT are trained to develop the necessary skill-sets needed to handle interviews in the best manner possible. Industry-related technical workshops are being organized to ensure a better strike rate in placements. The institute ensures that the skill-sets of their students are fully utilized by conducting rigorous counseling sessions on a one-to-one basis. These sessions help students to deal with their weaknesses in an effective manner and the students are also put through a series of psychometric, technical and communication tests to match industry standards. The HRD department of AIT recognizes the need for imparting proper, streamlined and industry-oriented training and as such actively organizes need-based short and long term programs on a regular basis. In order to enable the students to get an insight into the industry, the HRD Department also organizes technical and HR related lectures and seminars with the assistance of the core group from the respective industries.

Continuing to Push the Boundaries

From the conventional form of teaching, it is clear that traditional approaches alone do not comprehensively ensure potential learning. There is evidence that we have ample room for creating a productive learning experience and the learning experience could be deeper and lasting if we thoughtfully import industry collaborations into the existing engineering program structure.

These collaborations should be defined to operate deeply not only within curriculum programs but also in the organization structure. AIT is facilitating structured interactions among mentors from industries, students and faculties which results in innovative projects every year. AIT has been instrumental in tie-ups with companies like TCS for the Campus Connect Programs.

" AIT operates with a vision to develop Adichunchanagiri Institute of Technology as a center of excellence and to strive for continuous improvement of technical education and human resource advancement "

The P and T team of AIT has a very strong network of companies that regularly visit the campus. The department also interacts with various industries in order to realize the changing trends and prepare students accordingly. Profiles of the students are compiled based on industry requirements and records are maintained and made readily available to the companies as and when the requirement arises. The institute also helps their students to develop their business ideas into realities by helping them to come up with unique ideas and guide them through the various fund sourcing methods. AIT has also planned to provide quality technical education for their students and make them responsible citizens of our country and industry-ready engineers as per the demand of industry.

Dr. C.T. Jayadeva, Principal

Dr. C.T. Jayadeva graduated from the University of Mysore in 1986 and obtained his postgraduate degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Calicut, Kerala in the year 1993 and got his Ph.D. in Quality Management from Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi, in the year 2008. He has published more than 52 papers in the national and international Journals. He has also presented many research papers in international conferences held at London and Dubai. Four candidates have been awarded doctoral degree under his guidance and presently guiding 6 research candidates for Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering. He got VGST award from Government of Karnataka for the best international journal publication in 2015.