Erode: Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan has said educational institutions in India should not stop at teaching the basics and must grow into global centres of knowledge, research and innovation.
He was speaking as chief guest at the Founders’ Day celebrations of the Kongu Vellalar Institute of Technology (KVIT) Trust at Perundurai in Erode, where he also inaugurated Arivukoodam, the trust’s research park.
Radhakrishnan praised the vision of the trust’s 41 founders and said nearly one lakh people have studied at KVIT institutions over the years. Their work, he said, has helped education grow across the Kongu region. He also pointed to the institutions’ tie-ups with universities and organisations in Germany, the United States, France and Japan.
‘Move towards research-oriented education’
Speaking to students, the Vice President said young people should keep updating what they know and shift from basic education towards research-oriented education. He asked them to take up research, innovation and patents, and to get themselves ready for fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, semiconductors, quantum technology, biotechnology and digital technology.
Change is the only constant, he told the gathering, urging students to work out where their own strengths lie, set clear goals and keep at it without measuring themselves against others. He also spoke about yoga and meditation, which he said help with mental calm and sharper thinking, and quoted Swami Vivekananda: “You become what you think.”
Industry tie-up signed at the research park
Radhakrishnan said research, innovation and closer working between industry and academia are essential if India is to keep making progress. He said he expected Arivukoodam to become a hub for research, innovation and the creation of new knowledge, and to help the trust’s institutions build a reputation as global knowledge centres.
Memorandums of understanding were exchanged in his presence between Anchor Industries and Arivukoodam – A Research Park. He also went round an exhibition put together by the Technology Business Incubator of Kongu Engineering College, which displayed student projects and technological solutions.
Plaques unveiled for new colleges
The Vice President felicitated a number of people associated with the college and the trust. He unveiled plaques marking the foundation stone laying of Arivukoodam – A Research Park, the Pharmacy College, the Kongu Naturopathy and Yoga Medical College, and the trust’s cloud kitchen.
Tamil Nadu and Keralam Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Supreme Court judge Justice M. M. Sundresh and KVIT Trust chairman Devarajan were among those who attended.