The IIT Gandhinagar Story ICTIEE-Hubli January 2014 Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar

Five Original IITs: −Kharagpur in 1950’s −Madras, Mumbai, Kanpur and Delhi in 1960’s Two Later IITs: −Guwahati in mid 1990’s −Roorkee in early 2000’s (conversion of Roorkee University) Eight New IITs: −Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Jodhpur, Patna, Ropar: 2008 −Mandi, Indore: 2009 As a part of the massive expansion in higher education, e.g., −7 new IIMs, 10 new NITs, 15 new Central Universities,… The New IITs

Advantages −Start-up culture, informal, vibrant, energized −Can experiment with new ideas −You part of decision making, you grow faster −You create culture and leave a legacy −Plenty of resources The New IIT / University

Disadvantages −Rules and systems missing (you create those) Can be confusing to some −Lack of mentoring by seniors; no role models −May take time to build new labs, create new curricula −Additional effort to attract research students −And, may be noticed if you are not active ! The New IIT / University

Started operations in 2008 Currently ~750 students, ~80 faculty ~ 1/3 of current faculty are short-term ~39 sponsored projects from DST, DBT, MoES, … Academic Programmes B.Tech (from 2008) Ph.D (from 2009) M.Tech and D.IIT (from 2011) M.Sc. (from 2013) …including in Cognitive Science M.A. (from 2014) Recruitment of faculty in ALL AREAS IITGN: Current Status

15-20 minutes from Ahmedabad airport Permanent location: on Sabarmati bank in Gandhinagar Gujarat Vibrant economy, entrepreneurial spirit Strong support from state govt and local elite Ahmedabad Uninterrupted power supply; no inverters in homes/ offices! Safe: women on scooters at midnight Excellent roads: no traffic jams Educational and research hub: numerous reputed institutions Medical facilities: best in the country Location

To create a world-class university Best in the country in next years Similar to Top 100 in the world in next years Aspiration

Location in Ahmedabad - Gandhinagar New institute IIT Brand Top students Advantages

Skepticism (all round) Developing country mindset IIT Brand Disadvantages

Value addition Focus on de-stressing and life skills Curricula to be more broad based Undergraduate research & project-based learning International exposure Inculcate social responsibility The first two batches Have done extremely well Higher studies, entrepreneurship, … Agenda on Undergraduates

As a new institute, IIT Gandhinagar has a unique opportunity to aim for the ranks of a world-class university Campus Development

Academic Buildings

Temporary Campus

5-week Foundation Programme Humanities and Social Sciences (8 – 17 courses !) Compulsory courses on Design and Innovation Biology Emphasis on sports Projects outside the curriculum International experience (~1/3 of graduating class this year) UG Curriculum

First 5-weeks, 5-areas of focus: Physical Activities and Sports Fostering Creativity Communication Skills and Teamwork Values and Ethics Social Awareness Foundation Programme

Social Engagement

Community Outreach Policy of the Institute Engagement of Girl Students of Sakar School Nyasa: Construction Workers Programme Children’s Education Fund (for contract workers) Medical Fund (for contract workers) Housing for Construction Workers Community Outreach

Disciplinary diversity and integration of Humanities/ Social Sciences with Science and Technology All electives are open Students free to work on any project in any domain Minors and Honors allow students to take additional courses in specific areas USP of Engineering/Technology Programmes

Coordination among disciplines Discipline does not “own” their subject. Respect for all disciplines as equally valid fields of endeavour. Need for all disciplines to converge in holistic education. USP of Engineering/Technology Programmes

Not all learning happens in the traditional classroom setting: Peer-assisted learning Self-study and Independent study courses Classes in Active-Learning Classrooms Projects that are need-based, and based on personal experience Earn-While-You-Learn (EWYL) Projects to be done not for credit USP of Engineering/Technology Programmes

Focus areas being developed include: Safety Design and Innovation Public Health Biomedical Engineering Automobile Engineering Archaeological Sciences, Continuing Agenda

Experiments in undergraduate curriculum Teaching of mathematics with engineering context Teaching of HSS and engineering in a seamless manner Open-ended experiments in laboratory curriculum Fusion of laboratory and lecture

Summer Research Internship Programme (SRIP) Start-Early PhD Fellowship (SE PhD) PhD consideration for students without GATE International student admissions Initiatives for Students Outside

Initiatives in PhD admission: Recruitment of scholars from different (and relevant) backgrounds Top-up fellowship for outstanding PhD students (Rs 5k or Rs 10k per month) Support in case no GATE/CSIR International travel support of upto Rs 2 lakh Scholar Recruitment

Short Word on Performance Excellent student placements of the 2 batches 10% in top Universities Caltech, Stanford, Princeton, CMU, Austin, … 4 have started a company 1 has chosen to work on technology for social sector Top industry jobs

Questions and Suggestions are most welcome Thanks a lot