As the first step of collaborating with a foreign university, the Institute of Human Resources Development (IHRD) in Kerala has put together a lecture series at the College of Engineering in Attingal of Kerala. The first of these lectures was delivered by Professor Annu Sible of the University of Cincinnati on June 26, Monday. The initiative is aimed at using the expertise of foreign universities and Malayali professors to foster academic excellence.

“Currently the collaboration is mainly to share knowledge and ideas regarding the capstone (final year) project. To that end professors and students from University of Cincinnati will present their projects details to IHRD students,” says Annu Sible.

The undergraduate students, ready for their final year project, are expected to benefit from the exposure to professors and students of foreign universities. Principal of the Attingal College of Engineering, Vrinda V Nair, who played a major role in bringing about the collaboration, says that it should eventually be possible for students of both the universities to collaborate for projects.

“Given the technological possibilities we have today, it should not be hard for students on either side of the globe to work together on projects. After this inaugural session by Annu Sible, we are planning to have a student from the University of Cincinnati to interact with the students here, through an online session,” says Vrinda.

Annu Sible takes the first lecture

The idea began amid a conclave at the IHRD earlier this year, which was attended by Annu, among others. Annu, who graduated from the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, has worked at the IHRD before going to the US for higher studies. She has been teaching in the US for three decades now. “One of my former colleagues (at the IHRD) reached out to me on behalf of Dr Vrinda. We had several conversations regarding potential areas of collaboration,” she says.

Her first lecture was an introduction to the collaborative learning programme which is supposed to create strategic partnerships not only with the University of Cincinnati but other esteemed international institutes. Along with knowledge transfer, the collaboration is also expected to facilitate joint research programmes. Annu, who is also a member of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), will next have a lecture in her area of expertise -- health informatics applications.

“The students seemed to be responding well to the lecture, especially when they came to know that Neil Armstrong was a professor there and that a researcher at the University, Albert Sabin, had developed the polio vaccination. They need such sessions. In the not-so-distant future we hope to have student exchange programmes,” Vrinda adds.  

The programme will also be extended to other institutes under the IHRD.