Objectives of the Practice: 

The objective is to facilitate students to think creatively and to come out with innovative ideas, also to convert the same into projects by using the latest technological developments.

To foster an innovation ecosystem across the institution and to encourage students to work on interdisciplinary projects and engage in competitions.

To encourage the students to Participate in Hackathon, Coding contest, Business Case Competition, Conference, Project contest, etc.,

The Context:

As a successful entrepreneur, the Chairman of the Institution Mr. CK Ranganathan encourages students to become job providers rather than job seekers and to be trailblazers in multidisciplinary fields. Students Innovation Club is committed to nurturing a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and continuous learning among students.

Recognizing the importance of providing solutions to the societal needs the Students Innovation club creates an excellent platform for the students to exhibit their competence in solving the real-world problems.

The Students Innovation Club prioritizes students’ upskilling and reskilling to ensure their readiness for the dynamic demands of the emerging technologies.

The SIC club serves as a student’s platform for collaboration between industry and academia, facilitating meaningful partnerships and knowledge exchange to gain practical experience and insight into industry requirements.

Participation in competitions outside the college is essential as it exposes students to diverse perspectives, challenges, and opportunities, providing invaluable real-world experience to sharpen their skills and enhance their problem-solving abilities.

The Practice:

Identification of Student Interests:

The club begins by identifying students’ interest in innovation, entrepreneurship, and multidisciplinary domains.

Formation of Teams:

Once interested students are identified, they are grouped into teams based on their domain areas of interest like IOT, Electric Vehicle, Drone Technology, Additive Manufacturing, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Green & New Energy, etc.,

The teams are encouraged to be diverse, comprising students from different disciplines to foster multidisciplinary collaboration.

Industry-Academia Collaboration:

The club facilitates collaboration between industry and academia through workshops, seminars, guest lectures, and industry visits. This collaboration provides students with insights into industry requirements, fosters networking opportunities, and exposes them to real-world challenges and solutions.

Skills Assessment and Development:

The club conducts skill assessments to understand the strengths and areas for improvement of each student. Based on these assessments, personalized upskilling and reskilling plans are developed to enhance students’ readiness for the professional landscape. The club received Rs. 1,00,000/- funding from All India Council for Science & Technology (AICTE) and promoted innovations, creativity & ethics among students.

The club encourages students to participate workshops & Bootcamps organized by Incubation Units. Also. to create startup awareness among students, the SIC club organizes field  visits  to IIT Madras – Research park and other incubation centres.

Project Identification and Planning:

The SIC club periodically organizes internal Hackathons, ideathons, codeathons for the students to solve the problem statements from Industries, Government & Non-Government Organizations.

In addition, students will receive information about Project Expo, Paper Presentation, Tech Events, Workshops, and other events from various institutions/organizations through department SIC Coordinators.

Students are encouraged to propose innovative project ideas or choose from a pool of pre-selected projects aligned with industry needs and societal challenges.

The students’ Innovation Club identifies the best innovative ideas based on the rigorous review and the shortlisted projects shall be funded with seed money.

The selected projects are mentored and supported for meticulous planning, outlining objectives, timelines, resource requirements, and expected outcomes.

Building up Proto Model:

In the proto model development process the student teams shall receive guidance from the faculty members and also mentoring support from the industry experts & Anna Incubators. The SIC club also provides the student teams with the necessary seed money to build up their proto models. In addition, the SIC club supports the shortlisted students with the fab lab facility powered by Anna Incubator, Chennai.

The Student Innovation club facilitates the student teams to present their proto models to the review committee of Anna Incubator, this enables the students to have their own startups and to receive funding from the Incubators.

Participation in External Competitions:

Students are encouraged to participate in external innovation and entrepreneurship competitions to broaden their perspectives, test their skills in diverse settings, and gain exposure to global challenges and opportunities. The club supports students by providing the financial support required for registration and travel also the club facilitates students throughout the competition journey, from preparation to presentation.

Sustainable Growth and Impact:

The club continuously evolves its processes and initiatives to ensure sustainability and long-term impact. Alumni engagement, knowledge sharing with other institutions, and strategic partnerships further enhance the club’s reach and influence in nurturing a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship, and continuous learning within CKCET and beyond.

Evidence of Success:

The Student Innovation Club at CKCET has consistently demonstrated remarkable success through various avenues, including students’ achievements in paper and project presentations nationwide. These accomplishments serve as a testament to the club’s effectiveness in nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship among students.

Members of the club have achieved significant recognition in competitions organized by reputed organizations and professional associations, such as the World Youth Federation, Institute of Engineers, and Indian Society for Technical Education, etc., Notably, students have participated in the Smart India Hackathon, Toycathon, etc., showcasing their competence on the national platform.

Students Innovation Club mentored students to submit the project proposal to Tamil Nadu State Council of Science & Technology (TNSCST) under Student Project Scheme. Under these 14 projects has been approved by TNSCST with the grant of Rs.1,05,000/-

Over the past five academic years, an impressive number of 2597 students from our college have actively participated in many events, including project expos, hackathons, paper presentations, and technical competitions. This collective effort has resulted in an outstanding tally of over 350 prizes, highlighting the students’ dedication and the club’s impact on their skill development and success.

The consistent recognition and accolades garnered by our students in various competitions underscore the club’s effectiveness in providing a conducive environment for holistic development and nurturing future leaders in the field of technology and entrepreneurship.

Problems Encountered and Resources Required:

Building up confidence level of the students and preparing them as competence enough to face the national level challenges at par with students at top NIRF ranking Institutions.

Limited access to networking opportunities and resources poses hurdles in fostering industry-SIC collaboration.

Objectives of the Practice:

To create a life – long learning platform for Faculty members and students through IIY.

To acquire knowledge in emerging technologies.

To support individuals in developing professional and employability skills.

To create an ecosystem for innovation, research, product development and startups.

The Context:

In the 21st century, the growing demand for skillsets encompassing critical thinking, creativity and adaptability underscores the necessity for continuous learning initiatives like IIY. Despite the periodic modifications to the curriculum, there exists a significant gap between the knowledge acquired by the students through academic courses and the rapidly evolving trends in various industries.

To address this skill gap, IIY serves as a dynamic platform aimed at fostering lifelong learning and skill development. With objectives centered on acquiring knowledge in emerging technologies, enhancing personal growth, and cultivating employability skills, IIY seeks to create a vibrant ecosystem for innovation, research, product development, and startups within our institution.

The design and implementation of Invest in Yourself (IIY) at C.K. College of Engineering & Technology signifies a commitment to empowering both students and faculty members through online courses.

To ensure active participation, students and faculty members are encouraged to pursue a minimum of 2 online courses per academic year through various learning platforms like NPTEL / SWAYAM, edX, Coursera, Udemy, IBM, RPA, UiPath etc.,

These courses provide opportunities for students to stay updated on the latest trends in their respective fields, develop critical thinking skills, current industry demands and enhance their employability in the competitive job market.

Furthermore, learners are encouraged to share the knowledge gained through knowledge-sharing sessions, fostering a collaborative learning environment and promoting the exchange of ideas among peers.

Simultaneously, IIY extends avenues for faculty members to stay abreast of advancements in their disciplines, foster interdisciplinary research, contribute to the institution’s academic excellence and mentoring the students on deep tech projects.

By embracing IIY, CKCET endeavours to create a culture of continuous learning and growth, equipping both students and faculty members with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in an ever-evolving technological landscape.

The Practice:

The IIY Practice promotes conducive learning engagement for the students and faculty members and helps them to undertake a minimum of two online courses annually via a range of learning platforms such as NPTEL, SWAYAM, edX, Coursera, Udemy, IBM, RPA, UiPath, etc., The Faculty members can choose their courses based on their domain areas, research interest, emerging technologies, etc.,

The institute has exclusive IIY faculty co-ordinators in every department to facilitate students and other faculty members for taking up online courses based on the designed IIY course plan.

Every semester (Jan-Apr & Jul-Dec) Students and faculty members are made aware about the online courses offered through various platforms like NPTEL / SWAYAM, edX, Coursera, Udemy, IBM, RPA, UiPath etc., and support them to enrol.

For effective implementation of IIY, the institute has its own local chapter of National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), a joint venture of the IITs and IISc, funded by the Ministry of Education (MoE) Government of India. The NPTEL local chapter of CKCET actively involved in facilitating students and faculty members to achieve their IIY goals. The CKCET local chapter has awarded with “Active Local Chapter” tag by NPTEL- IIT Madras consecutively for four times.

The Institute has created an exclusive course plan for the students to acquire knowledge and skills in a phased manner. The details of IIY course plan for the students is below:

IIY Course Plan for Students

For the effective implementation of IIY course, the institute integrates IIY period into the regular academic Time table which facilitates the students to pursue their courses and to complete their periodic assignments as well.

Additionally, the institute has implemented mentor-mentee concept, where students will get the faculty advice throughout the course.

To monitor the progress of IIY courses, a specific Tracker sheet has been used to collect the entire course information, weekly progress, Assessment performance and final certification of all enrolled candidates.

Thus, the institute ensures seamless access to online courses with dedicated IIY faculty coordinators, NPTEL local chapter support, and a structured course plan. Students engage in diverse learning platforms, fostering skills, and staying competitive, facilitated by integrated IIY periods and mentorship. Progress is tracked systematically, enhancing learning outcomes and employability.

Evidence of Success:

The success of Invest in Yourself (IIY) at C.K. College of Engineering & Technology is evidenced by multifaceted achievements across various domains, reflecting the program’s profound impact on student and faculty development, innovation, and institutional growth.

Student projects and tech articles, consistently recognized and awarded at prestigious forums and competitions, highlight the practical application of knowledge gained through IIY courses. These accolades not only validate the effectiveness of IIY in fostering critical thinking and innovation but also showcase the caliber of students nurtured under its umbrella.

Additionally, improved placement statistics and enhanced admission rates further validate the positive impact of IIY on employability and institutional reputation. Furthermore, the inception of startups and product developments stemming from IIY initiatives underscores the entrepreneurial spirit and practical relevance instilled within the student community.

Moreover, certifications obtained by students through IIY courses serve as tangible evidence of skill acquisition and competency in emerging technologies and industry-relevant domains.

These certifications not only enhance individual profiles but also contribute to the overall academic excellence and reputation of the institution.

IIY certifications of the faculty members show the evidence for knowledge acquired. Additionally, Faculty members research contributions based on the knowledge gained from the IIY courses and their support to students in deep-tech projects would be evidence of success.

 

In essence, the diverse array of achievements and milestones attributed to IIY underscores its pivotal role in shaping a culture of excellence, innovation, and continuous learning within C.K.  College of Engineering & Technology, thereby positioning it as a beacon of academic distinction and leadership in the Indian higher education landscape.

Problems Encountered and Resources Required:

Though 95% of our students are enrolled and pursuing the online courses, the student’s final certification count is not satisfactory due to the students financial constraints.

As one hour per week is allotted for IIY course, Limited interaction between Mentor-Mentee.

For effective learning in the online platform, it requires individual computers with internet facility.