Innovative Initiatives @ the University

Inauguration of Incubation Centre at Nirma University

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Honourable Union Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India inaugurated the Incubation Centre at Nirma University on June 27, 2022.

Addressing the audience on ?New India for Young India: Techade of Opportunities?, Honorable minister Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, ?Digital India and Skill India are two important pillars that will transform the prospects of young Indians. India?s journey from a $2 Bn economy to a $10 Bn economy is now driven by the energy, determination and success of the youth. India has the highest FDI this year than any country in the world.?

Dignitaries present for the inauguration from the Government of Gujarat included Shri Kuberbhai Dindor, Honourable Minister of State for Higher & Technical Education; Shri M Nagarajan, IAS-Commissioner, Higher Education; Shri G T Pandya, IAS-Commissioner, Technical Education; Shri Jitubhai Vaghani, Honorable Minister of Education and Science & Technology; and Shri S J Haider, IAS – Principal Secretary (H&TE). From the university, Dr Karsanbhai K Patel, President-Nirma University; Shri K K Patel, Vice President; Dr Anup K Singh, Director General; and Shri G R Nair, Executive Registrar presided over the event. On this occasion, the university felicitated 13 of its alumni start-up founders.

Establishment of Tinkerers? Lab at Nirma University             

Nirma University inaugurated the Tinkerers? Lab under the auspices of the Maker Bhavan Foundation (MBF) on Sep 22, 2022. Dr Hemant Kanakia, Founder, MBF inaugurated the facility in the presence of other dignitaries.

The Tinkerers? Lab will provide more avenues for the students of Nirma University to develop their skills, encourage an inventive attitude, develop new patentable ideas, build prototypes, and file provisional patents. The Maker Bhavan Foundation, California, US has funded such labs at IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and IIT Gandhinagar in the past, and now for the first time, it is going outside of the IIT organisations by funding Nirma University.

Tinkerers? Lab expands the learning ecosystem by enhancing the scope for students to imagine and accomplish both their short-term and long-term projects. Moreover, the lab gives chance to students from all fields to think, learn and build together. Students from different disciplines have varied approaches to elucidating a matter, and multidisciplinary education will help in building strong mentorship, critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. This ?Learning by Doing? programme will ultimately improve student-learning outcomes and help in preparing better graduates for Industry.

Some of the events and activities that will be conducted under the auspices of Tinkerers? Lab are as under:

• Training on how to design/develop a product from basic to advanced level, for example, building a line follower robot from designing part to development to execution.
• Training sessions on learning to use each equipment like 3D Printer, Laser Cutting, PCB Printing Machine, etc. These training sessions will be conducted by student members under the guidance of some faculty members and technical experts.
• Competitions will be organised for students to build different kinds of projects.
• Organising hackathons in Nirma University as well as All India Hackathon where students from all Tinkerers? Labs can participate and provide the best solution to the given problem.
• Expert lectures on Modelling and Prototyping, Designing, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Different Software for modelling, Designing and simulations, Entrepreneurship etc. will be conducted from time to time by professional industrialists.
• Online quiz sessions on the brief of equipment and types of projects will be organised once a week to ensure the engagement of students throughout the semester.
• Workshops on CAD Software, Rendering, and 2D drafting software will be conducted on the weekends.