The Higher Education Technology Conference & Expo was held on August 29, 2019 at The Taj-MG Road, Bengaluru. Dr. Anubha Singh, Acting Vice-Chancellor and Pro Vice-Chancellor delivered the keynote address on the topic: Building a nation of industry ready students.

Dr. Anubha began her address by citing technological changes over the years and how emerging technologies are disruptive by nature and its impact on individuals, organizations and the society at large. With automation becoming the ‘new normal’, it is but natural for most sectors to be proliferated by artificial intelligence. With these changes, comes opportunities she said, emphasizing on the importance of students and the teaching fraternity adapting to the rapidly changing environment. Dr. Anubha highlighted that with over 60% of occupations consisting of activities that are at least 30% automatable, students have to develop skills that would make them future ready.

Dr. Anubha threw light on the higher education landscape and how ‘Alliance Education’ has stayed ahead of change, embraced real-time adaptation through three unique characteristics:

• Contemporary offerings
• Nimble content
• Reputation across industry verticals

Citing examples of how educational institutions have embraced change, Dr. Anubha gave an example of Bina48, a human like robot who completed a course taught by William Barry at Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont, California in 2017. Dr. Anubha also threw light on how organizations like Google acquired Lift Labs in 2014 to be integrated into their life sciences division that focuses on continuous research and innovation in the form of assistive devices for the elderly and individuals with motion disorders, are contributing towards enhancing quality of human life by embracing emerging technologies.

Dr. Anubha urged students of the 21st Century to be value creators and lifelong learners by focusing on:

• Mastering new hard skills
• Softer practical skills
• Ability to solve complex issues
• Negotiating and collaborating with others
• Developing cognitive skills-Creativity and Mathematical reasoning

She concluded her address by reiterating that higher education will most certainly continue the tradition of forging a better future as it applies the rules of reasoning, the findings of science, the aesthetics of art and the spark of creative imagination.