“Engineering Education Seminar - Empowering Next Generation Engineers” was a significant event hosted by the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) on Wednesday, January 24. The event began with an inaugural session featuring Professor Dr. Velraj, the Vice Chancellor of Anna University, who welcomed attendees and outlined a forward-looking vision for education. Dr. Velraj proposed assessing students through psychometric tests, followed by personalized course selection, in order to promote alignment with individual aptitudes.
Mrs.Innocent Divya, IAS, the Managing Director of TNSDC, emphasized the importance of transdisciplinary skills, a solution-oriented mindset, and the value of soft skills for innovative engineering careers. She introduced the idea of pooled placements, announcing a massive drive for engineering graduates in the month of February. Dr. Ramesh from Autodesk discussed the industry's skill set misalignment with graduating engineers, urging institutions to produce graduates capable of functional and sustainable ideas. Mr. Ganesh from Ashok Leyland highlighted industry expectations and urged youth towards nation-building rather than seeking jobs. Dr. Shankar defined "mobility engineers" and FIST (Future Innovation Skills for Technologists), emphasizing interdisciplinary integration. The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks.
The core session commenced with a panel discussion, including Dr. Ranganath, Mr. Bharat Pathak, Mr. Ganesh Sankaralingam, Mr. Satya Prasad, and Mr. Ranjith as the moderator. Addressing global industry status, the panel discussed e-vehicles, sustainability, and digitization. Advocating for excellence, syllabus revamping, and informal learning, the panel engaged in an insightful Q&A, concluding the first half of the event.
The second session maintained the energy of the first, featuring a dynamic panel discussion with distinguished speakers. The panelists included Dr. Rajkumar, President of RaneBrakes; Ms. Kavitha Kalaiselvi, Director at Talentegrity; Dr. Atul Singh, Director at Trane Technologies; Mr. Sumeet Kharbanda, GM (HR) at Hyundai; Ms. Amibika Natarajan, Sr. VP at HCL Technologies; Mr. B Suresh and Dr. U Chandrashekar, as the moderators, delved into the theme of "Emerging and Changing Job Roles & Their Proficiencies at Entry Level - Opportunity, Expectation & the Way Forward."
The session provided valuable insights and explanations, covering diverse job opportunities, including the emergence of roles in aviation logistics in India. The panel discussed how the youth of today can prepare for a successful career by opting for the right jobs and providing the audience with sound knowledge of all kinds of jobs. A session sum-up was provided by the moderator, followed by a vote of thanks that brought the formal event to an end. Refreshments in hand, the crowd shifted focus to networking. With the quiet hall brilliantly amplifying the voices of the gathered mass, it is safe to conclude that the event gracefully served the purpose it set out for.
