Universities need to become techno-business incubators

BANGALORE: Technological universities in the country should not stop at churning out lakhs of engineers every year without job opportunities, and instead concentrate on promoting techno-entrepreneurship and become technology buisness incubators.
University vice chancellors, college principals, educationists and leading R&D chiefs of the country who met in Bangalore on Tuesday seemed to agree on this strategy to shift the focus in technological universities to meet President Kalam''s Vision 2020 of India being in the league of developed countries.
A two-day workshop ''India Vision 2020: Role of Technological Universities'' took off at the Indian Institute of Science, to ultimately evolve a theme paper that will detail strategies and missions necessary to meet the needs detailed in Vision 2020 in education and related fields.
Shivathanu Pillai, chief controller of R&D, DRDO stressed on how technical education is important in every fields because everything today is technology-driven. ``We need to link R&D and industry and need to promote hi-tech research that will create a reverse brain drain, attract other countries too,'' he said. Speaking on `Missions for Developed India: Vision 2020'', he analysed the hurdles in the way of development -- developed countries develop hi-tech systems under control regimes and technology denials.
Developing countries buy these same technologies to meet their immediate requirements from these developed countries. ``This creates a lack of conducive environment for higher learning and hi-tech research,'' explained Pillai, also CEO of Brahmos.
A national mission `Reach'' was working with a goal of upgrading technological universities to the level of IITs and at least 50 institutions nationwide were being targetted at present for this programme. But unfortunately, many institutions were unwilling to come forward an be a part of this programme.
He also called for specific missions and goals to be set saying: ``Whenever the nation has had a focussed mission, we have succeeded,'' said PIllai calling technological universities to tie-up with industry to work toward the vision.
Visveswaraiah Technological University (VTU) vice chancellor K.Balaveera Reddy said: ``Universities have to mould courses to meet global needs. Universities need more skill-oriented programmes, specially in the service sector.'' Universities should also take the reponsibility of technology transfers to rural areas, he said. ``Every institution should become a technology business incubator so that students develope their own products.'' He emphasised that while job opportunities for engineers were dwindling, preventing the set up of new engineering colleges was not a solution.