The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, once said “True Education Must Correspond to the Surrounding Circumstances or it is not a Healthy Growth”. The Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology (Digital University) is conceived to realize the true education that corresponds to the needs of the surroundings which are rapidly transforming due to technological changes. Throughout human history, the adoption of technology has played a significant role in changing the nature of work and life of people. Over the years, major technologies like steam engines, electricity, automobiles, computers, the internet etc., have drastically changed many vocations, disrupted many enterprises and drastically altered the ways of life. Different geographical regions which proactively adopted these changes in a holistic manner could enhance economic wealth and led to overall growth and development. With the evolution of the new wave of digital technologies, it is imperative that proactive measures have to be adopted to support people from all walks of life to adopt the technologies to redefine their jobs so as to excel in the emerging world of the IV Industrial Revolution. Digital University is formed with the aim of driving this Digital Transformation.
The industrial era of the last century had progressively replaced the physical labour of humans with mechanical machines which could do the same job much more effectively at scale. This has resulted in the emergence of large factories and exponential growth in the wealth of industrialized nations. While the industrial era was fuelled by the availability of physical resources, the excellence in the digital world, characterized by knowledge technologies, would depend primarily on the quality and availability of human resources that develop and deliver knowledge products and services throughout the world, removing the handicap of time and space of yesteryears. This necessitates the need to develop an abundance of high-quality human resources with a deep sense of purpose and qualifications to lead the knowledge era in a comprehensive manner. This defines the role of the Digital University.
Digital University aims to be the prime mover of the knowledge revolution in the country by focusing on research and education in science, technology and humanities relevant to the digital world. Keeping in view of the rapid pace of adoption and change, University is expected to provide a flexible learning path to each of the learners so as to discover themselves to excel in the new world. The University would strive to develop capability and purpose in its stakeholders, enabling them to find innovative solutions to large problems faced by society, through the adoption of appropriate pedagogies and learning environments. Focusing on knowledge creation, dissemination and application, Digital University would play a significant role in the effective transformation and growth of the society at large. The five schools of the University- School of Computer Science and Engineering, School of Electronics Systems and Automation, School of Informatics, School of Digital Sciences and School of Digital Humanities- will focus on the development of high-quality talent, research on issues of larger interest and to develop and implement solutions to hasten the pace of digital transformation.
India, due to its resource handicaps and other reasons could not lead during the past three industrial revolutions. The fourth Industrial Revolution which is driven by human intellect and cognition poses a great opportunity for our country, which is abundant with human resources. As Gandhiji said “the future depends on what we do in the present”. I welcome all of you to be a part of Digital University to do the right things today for discovering a bright future.
