Participants of IDEA Lab FDP prepare 4 hands-on projects
Pune, 29 September 2021: Four hands-on projects were prepared by the participants of the week-long Faculty Development Program (FDP) on IDEA Lab which was concluded here on September 28. All the 20 participants, coming from across the country, were divided into four groups, each group comprising five.
The program, which was conducted by DY Patil International University, is sponsored by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and was held by AICTE Training & Learning Academy (ATAL) Academy.
“The tools used by the participants during the IDEA Lab FDP include 3D Printing, Laser Engravings & Cutting, CNC Wood Router Cutting & Engraving, Sublimation and AR/VR & PCB and get training on Design Thinking”, informed Dr Amarish Dubey, Co-ordinator FDP, DYPIU. DYPIU Vice Chancellor, Prof Prabhat Ranjan attended the event in his capacity as the chairman of the national steering committee for the same.
“The IDEA Lab has come at the right time. Now I hope that it takes the shape of a movement and forms part of the entire education system across the country in days to come,” said DYPIU VC, Prof Prabhat Ranjan.
The two assistant directors from AICTE, New Delhi that attended the valedictory session include Vipin Kumar and Paramjeet Singh. Sandeep Ansale, FDP Coordinator from College of Engineering, Pune (COEP) was also present at the event. The best project design award was given away during the event.
AICTE has decided to establish IDEA (Idea, Development, Evaluation & Application) Lab in AICTE approved institutions, encouraging students to the application of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fundamentals towards enhanced hands-on experience, learning by doing and even product visualization.
As a common facility embedded in the institution, the IDEA Lab will make engineering graduates more imaginative and creative, besides getting basic training in the 21st-century skills like-critical thinking, problem-solving, design thinking, collaboration, can facilitate the students and faculty to engage, explore, experience, express and excel as desired by the Prime Minister in the wake of release of National Educational Policy 2020.
As the IDEA Lab is going to be a long-term intervention aiming to transform education imparted in the institution, the proposal must spell out a clear vision for the Lab, plan of implementation, mobilization of resources, strength and enthusiasm of faculty, utilization and expansion of facilities etc. The alignment of activities with larger national goals/missions/initiatives or industrial requirements or serving the disadvantaged.
The purpose of IDEA Lab is to provide all facilities under one roof, for conversion of an idea into a prototype. With these facilities in the campus, more students and faculty will be encouraged to take up creative work and in the process, get training on creative thinking, problem solving, collaboration etc. which conventional labs are not able to. The focus will be on training students so that they become imaginative and creative and stay so at the workplaces they join. The program is specifically designed for faculty members, research scholars, engineers and professionals.
