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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Equity and access at UC Berkeley

Promising "disruptive progress," the engineering college at the University of California (UC), Berkeley, has named an associate dean, Oscar Dubon, for equity and inclusion to help it increase the number of students and faculty members from underrepresented groups.

The college's first step will be to improve its "yield"—the percentage of students who actually enroll after being admitted into either the undergraduate or graduate engineering program. The Dean Sastry believes that more money would make a big difference. "Fellowship support is the primary factor in improving yield" at the graduate level, he says. Winning over high school students is more complicated, he admits, and the college plans to try everything from overnight visits to summer research experiences. The plan also discusses various approaches to improving student retention rates, as well as a long-term strategy for recruiting more minority and female faculty members.

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Higher education reforms: autonomous colleges

The Indian government is thinking of freeing colleges from universities and letting them run their own show. This was announced by human resource development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal during his meeting with principal secretaries and secretaries of higher education from the states.

In order to become independent, colleges will first have to excel in many areas. Should they improve further, they could be allowed to become universities.

The Centre plans to create a three-tier system of affiliated colleges, autonomous colleges and universities. Their standards will be judged through an accreditation system formulated by the States so that students know the quality and resources of institute they attend. That would introduce competition among the educational institutions.

The government wants to regulate the fees and the admission process in private and unaided colleges and create a regulatory mechanism to prevent the business of capitation fees. States have also been asked for ideas on how to insulate the selection of vice-chancellors from politics.

A three-month deadline has been set for the education secretaries to prepare a vision document on the targets to be achieved in higher education by 2020. That must contain the state's targets for higher education till 2020, details of the current conditions, the number of universities and colleges, what the state thinks of their quality and a plan to increase Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education. The document will help the government plug loopholes, boost the sector and set benchmarks for 2020.

The government has ambitious plans for enrollment. It plans to bring a 5% increase in GER by the end of the 11th Plan and raise it to the global average of 30% by 2020. The states were also pulled up for pinching pennies on the education. According to the Ministry, the Centre's education spend, as a percentage of GDP, has increased to 0.91% in 2009 from 0.53% in 2000-01, while the states' spend has declined from 3.76% to 2.73%.

National Knowledge Commission on Higher Education

USA-India Educational Exchange

Full interest subsidy on educational loans for poor students