Prof. Poonam Kadam, Prof. Shivani Bhattarcharjee and Prof. Yukti Bandi, Dept. of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering, DJSCE.
Q. What are the upcoming domains, technologies and skill sets in the industry that are high in demand right now and expect an even further surge in the coming years?
Currently Cloud computing, Artificial intelligence, Wireless Technology and IoT are the most in-demand technologies. JavaScript has also become more prominent in recent times and is expected to stay relevant in the near future. Guiding systems and cognitive radio, which is part of 5g wireless tech, are going to shape the future of the telecommunication sector.
Q. How big is the gap between the average quality of engineers in our country and the required level in the industry? What steps can the government and colleges take to reduce this gap?
There is no doubt that there is a big quality gap between the industry and the students at the college level. The reason is that knowledge and the syllabus are not up to date i.e. the technology we learn and the technology used is totally different. Industrial training, guest lectures by eminent people from the industry and industrial exposure through internships can help reduce this gap.
Q. How important are soft skills to become successful in any industry? How do you think colleges can prepare students better and improve this aspect (soft skills)?
Soft skills are as important as technical knowledge and subjects which build and enhance these should be introduced in the course throughout the 4 years.
Q. What advice would you like to give to an engineer who is in the first or second year of his/her course?
We would advice these students to study the core subjects related to their stream very seriously as it builds importance concepts required for the further semesters. Also, please take up relevant internships in the field of your interests as they will help you with practical aspects of learning.
Q. What are the different ways in which teachers can help students throughout the 4 years?
Teachers can help their students in many ways such as guiding and mentoring them,providing them with the necessary information as to select their summer internships and helping them come up with project ideas for all the projects they build.