How industry tie-ups help UPES engineering students stay ahead of the competition

Being distinct from the crowd through quality education and industry-ready skills has been the core philosophy of UPES

The world is changing at an unprecedented pace today, thanks to the unseen challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Industries are redefining their modus operandi; offices are shutting down or becoming partially operational; homes are getting designed to incorporate the work-from-home culture and its demands; manufacturing is now engineering new ways to take into account all the health advisories the novel coronavirus has brought with it. In such a new normal, staying abreast of the paradigm shifts in any industry is paramount. Skipping even a tiny detail could lead to a significant loss – both productivity and financially.

What has changed is the role of engineers. In fact, it has expanded to incorporate other traditional roles and functions like designing, operational management, and even accounting (resources). Having a strong industry connection and becoming prepared for this new change has never been felt so strongly than today. Thanks to its proactive approach, UPES has been championing industry alliances for all its eight Schools, especially for the School of Engineering and the School of Computer Science, since the pre-covid times and hence, today is one of the leading universities in the country with ties to top tier corporations around the world.

UPES has established unique partnerships and collaborations beyond the usual academic-industry alliances to offer a distinct advantage to students. The curriculum is co-designed (methods that are jointly identified and incorporated to improve the existing curriculum), co-developed (new and advanced modules are added to the curriculum), co-delivered (subject matter experts from industry partners deliver industry-ready modules), and co-certified (certificates co-branded to add credibility and improve job prospects). For instance, our partnership with IBM – first of its kind in the world – to co-brand 16 cutting-edge specialized programs through joint establishment with the Centre of Information Technology, is the largest partnership of this nature in the world for IBM. More than 2,000 enrolled students benefit from exposure to and application of the most in-demand skills as well as emerging tech like AI, IoT, Blockchain, amongst others. They are also preparing to be specialists in sectors that are evolving and opening newer career prospects like Oil and Gas, Retail, Healthcare, and Insurance. Additionally, the unique partnership will assist students in acquiring specialized skills in Open Source Software and Open Standards, with live industry-relevant projects under the guidance of experts from IBM.

Our collaboration with Microsoft covers interdisciplinary domains, including B.Sc. Nutrition and B. Des and M. Des (Design). The collaboration has resulted in setting up of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) lab in UPES that gives students access to the content of the Intelligent Cloud Hub (ICH) program. Students learn advanced programs in IoT, AI and ML, Web Development, and Data Sciences on Azure software, from subject matter experts to get first-hand knowledge on the technologies that are defining the future. Upon successful completion, they receive branded certifications. Furthermore, UPES faculty also train and upskill themselves through faculty programs set up by Microsoft experts, making this collaboration suitable equally for students and faculty. Likewise, UPES and Oracle have entered into an exclusive partnership to introduce a Workforce Development Program(WDP). The program hones skills particular to Oracle tools to cultivate the next set of skilled Oracle associates in various in-demand fields, including Big Data, Oracle Database, IoT, and Oracle Financials. Branded certificates are also provided to students, upon successful program completion, to boost their chances of getting coveted job offers.

UPES has been committed to making India a self-reliant nation through its collaboration with Larsen & Toubro Limited, an Indian multinational conglomerate. The collaboration encompasses programs in Civil Engineering, Hydrocarbon Engineering, Health Safety, and Environment Engineering, Pipeline Engineering, and Chemical Engineering while providing a range of specializations like Infrastructure Development, Process Design, among others. A similar nation-oriented agreement was established with Phillips Carbon Black Limited (PCBL) – part of RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group – which is India’s largest carbon black producer. Advancing the ‘Skill India Mission’, UPES and PBCL have jointly designed and delivered the curriculum for B.Tech in Chemical Engineering with specialization in Refinery & Petrochemical, with subject matter experts adding theoretical knowledge paramount in building a strong foundation coupled with industry visits and projects.

Being distinct from the crowd through quality education and industry-ready skills has been the core philosophy of UPES. Even during the pandemic, students were able to interact with industry pioneers through online masterclasses and webinars. Thanks to its academic collaboration with Coursera, students were upscaling themselves not just in their respective domains but also in areas of their interest through over 3900 specialized courses. UPES also institutionalized industry projects to help students gain hands-on experience. UPES Council for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UCIE) is working with the Uttarakhand Government on UNDP-Centre for Public Policy & Good Governance (CPPGG) projects with 18 projects successfully worked on, involving around 40 faculty members from all the schools, and helping 64 students get recruited.

UPES stands committed to cultivating industry-ready, next-generation leaders for all disciplines of Engineering. Through its adept administration, swift decision-making, and technology-driven approach, it continues to churn leaders and will continue to do so! The admissions for the 2020 academic calendar have opened. To know more about the scholarships – merit, domicile, and Shakti – course curriculum, and industry affiliations, visit <link>