Learning continues, one webinar at a time

Learning never stops has become an anthem at UPES, uniting students and faculty, a rallying cry that is symbolic of our refusal to submit to the times

Life must go on, even in difficult times. Even as COVID-19 puts a stop to our daily life, it is critically important that we keep pursuing excellence, if only because humankind has always fought adversity through innovation and evolution. ‘Learning never stops’ has become an anthem at UPES, uniting students and faculty, a rallying cry that is symbolic of our refusal to submit to the times.

The advantage of these times is that with a lot more time in our hands, it gives us the opportunity to diversify our education, go beyond the single sources or textbooks, venture beyond classrooms and learn from the best in the field. It is perhaps fitting that in this crisis, like every other feature of our lives, learning is not just continuing, but evolving. Taking online courses, reading supplementary education have become a positive part of the new normal. In addition to online courses, and certifications on Coursera (which our students and faculty can access for free owing to our partnership in coursera), a good option to learn is through webinars and masterclasses. Webinars have a lot of advantages over regular online courses which are pre-recorded. Here are some advantages of webinars –

1. Webinars are interactive: Webinars allow for two-way communication between mentors and students. Students can ask their questions and get answers from their mentors themselves. This makes the sessions interactive, useful, targeted, and interesting.
   
   
2. Webinars are focussed: Webinars are usually about the current developments in a specific topic, which ensures that you’re updated about the latest developments in a field. In the rapidly evolving knowledge pool, the cardinal sin that future professionals can make is being outdated. Building a habit of attending webinars and masterclasses ensures that you’ll never fall behind.
   
   
3. Learn from industry experts: If you attend a webinar endorsed by a reputed institute, chances are you’ll be able to interact and learn from a notable industry expert that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to interact with. Webinars make it easier for experts to interact with students like you, enthusiasts, and future leaders. 
   
   
4. Transcend space and time: From the comfort of your living room, you can access knowledge being disseminated in another part of the world. Webinars ensure that space and time are irrelevant in your pursuit of knowledge.
   
   
5. Webinars are a social experience: Webinars allow you to interact with not only the experts, but your peers around the country or even the world. You can make acquaintances, build your network, join knowledge sharing study groups, scope out your competition, and learn from each other, which makes it a great experience.

We at UPES understand the role that technology and innovation can play in enhancing the learning experience. Not only do we not shy away from it, we find new ways to enhance it and spearhead the process of evolving nature of learning. Which is why even during this crisis, our webinar series ‘Web Talks’ has been launched. Web Talks is comprised of conversations between UPES faculty and experts from a wide range of industries, including organisations like ISRO, NASA, Maruti Suzuki, Emory University, CNN-News18, and more. Our Webinars strike a balance between industry application and academia.

In addition to this, we’re also pioneering extended Masterclasses on specific subjects. Masterclasses are not just single conversations but an extended series of lectures organised by a panel of experts from different organisations. Needless to say, masterclasses are more exhaustive in their scope and curriculum. Our goal at this time is to create forums where open, accessible knowledge can be disseminated with a view to ensuring that we keep learning, and use this time at home to upskill ourselves.

While the world will continue to be uncertain for the next few months, let us take that as a prompt to continue our resolute march towards the light. Building strong fundamentals and liaising with industry experts is a pursuit worthy of every students who wants to make their mark. Let us resolve that we will emerge stronger and more informed on the other side of this crisis.