Hyderabad: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad will launch two new courses from the upcoming academic year of 2017-18. They are BTech (Minor in Design) and BTech (Engineering Mathematics). The courses are being introduced following interest from students as well as employers who are increasingly looking for these skills.
Commenting about the launch of two new courses, Prof. U.B. Desai, Director, IIT-Hyderabad, said, “Multi-disciplinary areas are constantly emerging not just within the academic world but also within the industry. These areas require new ways of thinking and new skills. These New courses aim to fulfill such emergent requirements.”
Prof. D. Sukumar, Head, Department of Mathematics, IIT-Hyderabad, said that “The B.Tech. (Engineering Mathematics) will enable students to pursue higher studies in Math, such as a Ph.D. in world class universities.”
Further, it will also help students to take up Research and Development work in national as well as international laboratories. There are also many Industry and MNC jobs which require math analytical skills. The intake for the course is 10 students.
Speaking about the reasons behind introducing the course now, he says that many students getting into IITs have great interest and inclination towards math. Further, this course bridges the gap between having a very good undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Mathematics. It will also help train quality faculty in mathematics for the future with strong basics.
At present, Prof. Sukumar says other IITs to offer similar courses include IIT-Guwahati (B.Tech. Mathematics and Computing) and IIT-Delhi (B.Tech Mathematics and Computing). There are also Integrated Dual Degrees offered by IIT Kanpur and IIT (BHU) Varanasi.
Students taking BTech (Engineering Mathematics) course in IIT-Hyderabad will be exposed, from the first semester, to the foundations and fundamentals required for higher mathematics. Students can tailor their course according to their orientation and specialisation of Mathematics through the fractal academic system. They will be trained to solve problems and project based learning from the preceding years, which will help students to see links between different areas of mathematics.
Speaking about the BTech (Minor in Design), Prof Neelkantan, Assistant Professor, Department of Design, IIT Hyderabad, said, “Creative thinking, lateral and non-linear thinking, innovative spirit, experiencing technology and entrepreneurial components – these are some of the highlights of design thinking. The advantage of the Minor in Design Course is not just about employability but also supporting the students to be creative thinkers and begin initiatives of their own.”
The students Intake will be between 15 and 20. These courses are meant to introduce a ‘design-spine’ within the larger engineering environment as visualized by Design Manifesto 2014. Design departments that are part of IITs have the advantage of collaborating across disciplines in sciences and engineering. The canvas of collaborative work is vast and exciting and potential for incubation is manifold.
The minor courses that would be offered include Creative Product Design, Principles of Animation and moving images, Digital Heritage, Visual Communication and digital imaging, Built-environment/ Urban space Design, Special Topics on Design, Introduction to Ergonomics and design, Word and image Immersion, Movement Art, Technology and Environmental installations and Performances.”
Prof. Neelkantan added that the course structure was oriented such that the students are encouraged right from the first semester itself to think independently, which crystallizes in the independent projects they conceive. The lectures and courses are oriented such that they feed in and support the project work. “The response to the existing courses has been amazing and the candidates experience tough competition to get admitted to the design program,” he added.
