IT-entrepreneurship bond opens new vistas

Technopreneurship programmes conducted year-long for scientists and researchers, in collaboration with MITCON, are part of the proposal soon to be submitted to the Department of Science and Technology (DST) Delhi, says Director of the Board of College and University Development (BCUD) Vasant Wagh, who also heads the STP. “The BCUD has already held discussions for financial support for this project, with a senior DST official who recently visited the STP,” says Wagh, adding that the project should be cleared within a few months, after which the modalities will be worked out.

To enhance employment opportunities for students by equipping them with latest techniques in IT, the University is in the process of entering a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with C-DAC, to start IT diploma courses in its affiliated colleges in urban and rural Pune, Nashik and Ahmednagar, from early 2000, Vice-Chancellor Dr Arun Nigavekar told The Indian Express today.

Colleges interested in providing these courses will have to enter a tripartite agreement with the University and C-DAC, said Nigavekar, adding that a meeting with all college principals in this regard will be called after the Senate meets this week.

To be conducted after college hours, the IT courses will be formulated with a different slant for the arts, science and commerce faculties respectively, and will be open to the public. Established in ’89 with to promote young entrepreneurs, the STP provides a common platform for scientifically active departments at the University to enter into collaborations for research projects and provide consultancy services to the industry.

“A computerised database of all the national STPs, the entrepreneurs they support, and the consultancy projects they co-ordinate, is being prepared at the UoP, to help the UoP forge a fruitful year-long dialogue with the industry,” said Wagh, adding that several post-graduate departments on the campus are currently working in collaboration with industries, where bright Ph. D. students, readers, research assistants, are noticed by industries for future employment.

Entrepreneurship awareness programmes aimed solely at motivating entrepreneurial activities among the youth, will also be conducted at the STP. The STP headquarters are currently at the C-DAC building, where the Indian Science Congress office has been temporarily set up. After its conclusion in January 2000, the STP will function as the centre for implementation of the above projects, said Dr Arun Nigavekar.