IIT-Madras seeks to be in top 50 in all disciplines

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras, has laid out a ‘Strategic Plan 2014-2020’. The Vision, under the plan, is to be in the top 50 in all disciplines, by being a global leader in research and education.

Pawan Goenka, chairman, IIT Madras, and Executive Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, said the key pillars to achieve this vision would be course programmes, research, engagement with industry, internationalisation and entrepreneurial activity.

Another key focus for IIT-Madras is to incubate ‘blockbuster’ companies that will create high-value intellectual property. IIT Madras figured on the QS World University Ranking at 321, but did not figure on the Times Higher Education ranking. The strategic plan is expected to help it to perform better in the rankings.

“Modern India has a strong need for robust and innovative technology solutions, be it to improve the quality of life or to be on a par with global standards. Given the growing expectations and complexities, IIT-Madras will face the challenges in meeting this plan,” said Goenka.

However, he said, the plan has been thought through well, and keeping in mind the institute’s ecosystem and team, it will make rapid progress towards achieving its vision.

Bhaskar Ramamurthi, director, IIT Madras, added that the plan will serve the purpose of aligning all stakeholders of the institute towards a set of common goals so that the sum total of its efforts and achievements is much more than its individual contributions.

Targets of the Strategic Plan and the vision underlying the plan include:

Courses and programmes

The plan aims to introduce flexibility in the IIT-Madras curriculum through a wide choice of electives. The plan targets to offer over 2,000 courses each year, with 700 faculty members, by 2020. To shape the curriculum of the degree programmes to have a typical break-up of 50 per cent core courses and 50 per cent electives, to offer industry-oriented online courses leading to certification or M Tech degrees and to explore ‘Professor of Practice’ positions.

The curriculum will be structured such that the core course component makes up around 50 percent and opportunities for multi-disciplinary diversification through electives are maximised.

The institute will develop a total of around 25 active Centres of Excellence, adding more to the existing ones, with 10-15 faculty members in each centres drawn from multiple disciplines. It would also focus on publishing a higher number of papers in top journals and establish two or three research centres of excellence each year.

Sponsored Research & Industrial Consultancy

The Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (IC&SR) Centre was created in 1972. IIT-Madras will continue to grow its patent portfolio by pursuing a policy of active patenting and commercialisation, with a goal of doubling the number of patents filed per year by 2020.

IIT-Madras plans to increase the number of faculty members involved in sponsored research to 75 per cent of the faculty strength and in consultancy, to 60 per cent. IT also targets to double the value of the total funded research to Rs 500 crore every year and to increase the number of industry-driven projects by 100 per cent. To increase the number of patents applied for annually, to 120–140 and to commercialise 5–10 research innovations annually and to encourage “idea to product” pre-incubation activity involving faculty and students are the other targets under the vision.

Incubation

IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP) was set up in 2010, as an independent firm by IIT-Madras and its alumni. IITMRP promotes R&D by IIT-M in partnership with industry. IIT-Madras targets to grow to a level at which 20 new companies are incubated each year, to have at least 10 per cent of the companies becoming ‘blockbuster’ companies, leading to IP ownership and acquisition or creation of high technology.

Human capital

IIT-Madras plans to recruit around 30 top-class faculty members each year, to provide a five-step path for promotion and rewards.

Internationalisation

To increase the number of exchange scholars (in and out) to at least 200 per year — from 30 (in) + 60 (out) in 2014 to 75 (in) and 130 (out) by 2020. IIT-M also aims to increase the number of joint supervision and joint PhD programmes to 45 and 20, respectively, by 2020.

MISSION 2020

• Become a leading technological university, with international recognition (including global rankings) in all disciplines
   
• Become as renowned for postgraduate education as for the undergraduate courses
  

 

Earn a reputation among students that IIT Madras is a dynamic and student-friendly campus
 

Establish a track record as a creator of new and innovative technologies for industrial and national needs
 

Become known globally for transformational technologies that impact lives of people
 

Incubate successful start-ups for products using technology developed by the Institute
 

Improve the sustainability of the campus in terms of energy and water usage, waste management and recycling of materials