Fancy Engineering Undergraduate (UG) Courses

Recently I came across some media reports which suggest some new courses launched at undergraduate (UG) level (BE., B Tech) that are likely have huge demand in next five years. Since I doubt that claim, this blog is specifically to express my views on that subject.

Some of the UG courses predicted to have huge demand and job opportunities, in next five years are: robotics, automation, automotive design, data analytics, polymers, biochemical engineering, mechatronics. I would not like to mention any specific course, but try to put forward my view, giving some examples.

Few years back, a new engineering UG course was launched by a renowned university in Maharashtra (India), titled “Instrumentation Engineering”, with much fanfare. At that time, large number of students opted for the course. However, even before the first batch of UG students passed out in that course, it was realised it has very few job opportunities. As a result, many private engineering colleges that initially started the course backed out and closed the Department. In my opinion, any graduate mechanical, chemical or electronics engineer can fulfill the requirement of instrumentation engineer, after a brief initial training.

The story is somewhat similar in case of Bio-Chemical Engineering at UG level. Any UG chemical engineer can work in a biochemical industry, perhaps better, because he is able to take a 360⁰ view as a chemical engineer. There can be no difference of opinion, if I say mechanical, electrical or electronics engineer can work in robotics, automation, mechatronics and so on.

The point is, the job opportunities shall be much limited for the graduates (BE, B Tech) passing out from narrow engineering courses like biochemical engineering or robotics. To give an example, a chemical engineer graduate can work in biochemical engineering and also in many other chemical industries, but a graduate with biochemical engineering degree will find it difficult or will not be accepted by other chemical industries.

I feel, while choosing the engineering branch, first preference should be given to basic branches like chemical, civil, computer, electronics, electrical and mechanical engineering. It is better to avoid joining UG course with a narrow engineering scope, as discussed above. These subjects should be left for PG (MS, M Tech, ME) qualification.

Image Source: CERDEC Math and Science Summer Camp, 2013, US Army, @flickr.com Creative Commons License. 

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Adding Value to the Engineering Educational Institutions

Establishing and running an engineering educational institution is a capital intensive project. In India, the main source of income for the private engineering institutions is from the tuition fees collected from the students. The revenue outflow is mainly for salaries, establishing laboratories and the development of college infrastructure.

All promoters wish that their institution should be preferred by the prospective students, to seek admissions. They also desire good faculty should join the institution.   

Over the years, large number of engineering colleges have been established, as the number of students seeking engineering courses was equally large and kept growing, in the past. Since last few years, however, the demand for other faculties like commerce, law has increased. As a result, number of students seeking engineering admissions have not increased in the same proportion vis-a-vis the number of engineering colleges established. Large number of admission seats remain vacant in most engineering colleges, as per the current trend. 

The viability of many engineering institutions has come under threat. These institutions find it extremely difficult to gather resources to pay staff salaries and develop laboratories and infrastructure. The students and parents do not give preference to these institutions due to perceived bad quality. This is despite the fact that some of them have secured very good grades in accreditation by NAAC and NBA.  

Even in this difficult period, it is seen, some engineering colleges and universities are successful filling almost cent percent seats. Why do students and parents prefer these colleges?

Dr J D Bapat helps the institutions solve this juggernaut. As a development professional and the adviser, he helps the engineering institutions build up strength in the following areas: 

• Resource Generation (other than tuition fess)
• Marketing and
• Image Building

Dr Bapat, advises the institutions how to build on own strengths. He helps faculty propose research projects to funding agencies and also set up research laboratories. He also identifies areas in which collaboration with the industry could be initiated. Marketing is always with respect to the product. Pass out degree holders are the products of engineering institution. The industry employing the fresh engineers on the one hand and the students seeking admission to the institution, on the other, are the customers. Dr Bapat gives systematic plan to market the achievements of the institution and also to build the image in the society. All these efforts are focused towards adding value to the engineering educational institutions. 

Visit Dr J D Bapat's website 

View Dr J D Bapat's Brief Bio-data

Send your message to Dr J D Bapat: consult@drjdbapat.com


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Body shopping in higher education

The media reports show that there is a spate of higher educational institutions in India (engineering, management) signing bipartite agreements with the foreign universities; mostly with those not known for high academic standing. Why this sudden increase in the Indian institutions? Does it help improve the academic standard of   higher educational institutions in India?? I feel curious.

One thing is sure, the academic standard will improve only if the components of research and mutual faculty exchange are involved in such agreements. However the fulfillment of academic term by the students at Indian and foreign campus is prominently highlighted.  Who pays for the cost? Parents obviously!

A word of caution for the students and parents: Check the academic standing of the foreign institutions, before you pay through the nose.

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A model for academic-industry cooperation

Collaborations among universities and businesses are crucial not only to making new discoveries but also to ensuring that breakthroughs in science and technology find their way to the people who need them. Academics have a history of either giving away too much of their intellectual property to corporate partners or of making it too difficult for companies to license the technology. The solution is to find a middle ground.

James Weyhenmeyer, Senior Vice Provost for Research with the State University of New York (SUNY) shows the way. He sites an example of a deal signed in 2007 for the University of California Berkeley, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to work with energy producer BP on a US $500 million research program to explore how bioscience can be used to increase energy production and reduce the impact of energy consumption on the environment. The following are the highlights:

(a) The intellectual property consisted of a "yours, mine and ours" model, which meant each party retained the rights to all of the work done at their campus facilities but had to share ownership of projects developed at joint sites (BP set up labs on both campuses)

(b) It included a clause that gave the energy company a royalty-free, nonexclusive license to commercialize the results of the collaboration

(c) BP could buy exclusive rights by paying the other two parties US $100,000 per year per invention.

(d) In the event this group developed a blockbuster technology, Lawrence Berkeley and the universities could renegotiate with BP for a bigger piece of the pie.

This deal can become a model for others to follow

Ref: When universities and businesses collaborate, it's "yours, mine and ours" by Larry Greenemeier, Scientific American Observations, Dec 8, 2009

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Teachers must research

Teachers’ Participation in Research Programs Improves Their Students’ achievements in studies

The Program advocates assert that program participation enhances teachers’ skills in communicating science to students. They measured the impact of New York City public high-school science teachers’ participation in Columbia University’s Summer Research Program on their students’ academic performance in science. In the year before program entry, students of participating and nonparticipating teachers passed a New York State Regents science examination at the same rate. In years three and four after program entry, participating teachers’ students passed Regents science exams at a rate that was 10.1% higher than that of the non-participating teachers’ students. Other program benefits include decreased teacher attrition from classroom teaching and school cost savings.

The above results apply better in case of higher education. That is what experience shows.

Ref: “Teachers’ Participation in Research Programs Improves Their Students’ Achievement in Science”,

Samuel C. Silverstein, Jay Dubner, Jon Miller, Sherry Glied, John D. Loike, Science, 16 October 2009, Vol. 326. No. 5951, pp. 440 – 442,

DOI: 10.1126/science.1177344

Higher education: Harvard, Stanford, MIT, welcome to India

The Human Resource Development Minister of India, Kapil Sibal, says foreign universities like Harvard are welcome in India. He expressed that these universities will come to India on certain terms and conditions. Everyone's view will be taken into consideration and decision will be taken according to the national interest.

The foreign universities are investing in the developing country like Malaysia. The expenses incurred in educating a child there are just half of that in Australia. If the universities are giving the same education in Malaysia at half the price, they are welcome to do the same in India too.

The academic standard of Indian universities is poor, especially in the area of research in science and technology. The top world universities give considerable emphasis on research. The competition with foreign universities shall motivate Indian universities to improve academic standard and pursue research. It will also be a good career opportunity for the competent faculty.

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Deemed universities: some suggestions

Dr J D Bapat

One can understand that the Government has a social agenda to fulfill. However to fix uniform fee structure for all deemed universities will not be appropriate. The fee structure of an educational institution must have a relation with what the institution spends on the academic development, namely laboratories, staff salary and welfare, students projects, teaching aids, computers, library and so on. In some States, the Shikshan Shulka Samiti appointed by the Government carries out this task. A similar body established at the Central Government level can do the job. In that case, the fee chargeable by an educational institution will be proportional to what the institution spends on the academic development. The Government should also ensure easy availability of the educational loans through banks.

Besides the faculty and the infrastructure, good students are essential to build a good institution. Centralised admission process is good, provided the transparency and the quality standards are maintained.

It should be noted that the academic autonomy is the key to quality education. Excessive controls will only paralyse the development of higher education in the country.

Comment whether should the fees in the educational institutions be related to their expenditure on the academic development activities.

Change V-C selection process

Change V-C selection process Dr J D Bapat The Maharashtra Governor S C Jamir—as the chancellor of state universities—has called for a systemic overhaul in the appointment process of university vice-chancellors. Instead of a selection process he described as "politicized'', Jamir recommended that a group of eminent academicians must select vice-chancellors. The Governor was in Chandrapur on, 19 Jan 2009, Monday to inaugurate a state level principals' forum. The quality of governance of many educational institutions in the state is a cause for concern. In many states, university appointments, including that of V-Cs, have been politicized. Currently, a university vice-chancellor is appointed by the chancellor on recommendations of a committee consisting of representatives from the government, from the university academic council and management council, among others. When the scholars choose the vice-chancellor, universities would see a qualitative difference in their functioning. We do not have a dearth of talented people for the posts in our universities. To ensure that we get the best persons to run our universities, it is necessary to take a re-look at the composition of the appointment committee. There are growing concerns about the large number of teaching faculty positions that remain vacant in the universities and colleges. This has considerably paralysed some of our reputed institutions. The recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission have made teaching more attractive, offering good pay scales to the teachers. If the young and bright minds are to be attracted to join the profession, enough opportunities should be made available for growth. One of the reasons for the vacant teaching positions in the higher educational institutions is the perpetual reservations. When the teachers are not available in the "reserved" category, the vacancy should become "open" after certain time period. The qualified teachers draw job satisfaction, when teaching is accompanied by the research (as in IITs). Therefore research funding for the universities need to be increased substantially.