IIT Madras to hold G20 Seminar on Digital Tech in Education

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) will organise a G20 Seminar on ‘Role of Digital Technology in Education’ at its Research Park on 31 st January 2023. It is intended to identify policies for effective use of digital technology in education in the G20 member countries.

The G20 Seminar will be held at IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP) as part of ‘Sherpa Track – 1 st Education Working Group Meeting’ in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, from 31 st January 2023 to 2 nd February 2023. The Education Working Group, under India’s Presidency of G20, has a key objective to identify areas/themes to promote possible research and academic collaboration among educational institutions in G20 member countries.

Further, an exhibition with 50 stalls is also being organized as part of this grand event at IITMRP. These stalls will encompass research, innovation and skill-based topics. The delegates from the participating nations would also be visiting IIT Madras Campus and will learn about the evolution of the Institute over the years, from the newly-revamped IIT Madras Heritage Centre. 

They will also gain an exposure to the cutting-edge research underway at IIT Madras ‘Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre’ and the innovations happening at the student-run Centre for Innovation (CFI), where students work on projects outside their curriculum. This will be followed by an extensive cultural parade in the campus, which will showcase the rich cultural diversity of the nation.

Addressing a Press Conference in the campus today (28 th Jan 2023), Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “It is a great honour for the Institute to host this prestigious international seminar on an area of immense societal importance such as Education and use of digital technology. The Institute has a rich history of leveraging digital technology for education.

IIT Madras in 2020 had launched the world’s first BS degree in Programming and Data Science offered in online mode, which democratized access to quality education by removing barriers.” Prof. Kamakoti added, “The G20 seminar will focus on strengthening the use of digital technologies to enhance student learning opportunities and outcomes and leverage digital technologies for the education of special children. 

The participants will also share best practices relating to the use of digital technologies to promote inclusive and equitable quality education in G20 member countries.” The discussions during the seminar will focus on how digital technologies could be used effectively to expand student learning opportunities and learning outcomes and to respond to the challenges each country faces in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) targets of achieving inclusive and quality education for all. 

The Participants of this seminar include  Members of the G20 Education Working Group from each G20 member country, guest countries, and International Organizations.  Representatives of select academic institutions in G20 member countries that are engaged in initiatives for promoting the use of digital technologies for ensuring quality

learning opportunities for all and improving learning outcomes.

 Representatives of international organizations such as UNESCO, UNICEF, World Bank, and OECD, among others

 Representatives of knowledge partners from India During the past few years, all G20 member countries have made significant progress in expanding digital technologies for improving educational access and the teaching-learning

process. 

In view of SDG4-Education 2030 agenda, it is imperative that the remarkable advances relating to digital technology is harnessed to transform educational systems to improve learning outcomes, promote lifelong learning and narrow persistent learning deficits.

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ABOUT IIT MADRAS

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) was established in 1959 by the Government of India as an ‘Institute of National Importance.’ The activities of the Institute in various fields of Science and Technology are carried out in 16 academic departments and several advanced interdisciplinary research academic centres. 

The Institute offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes leading to B.Tech., M.Sc., M.B.A., M.Tech., M.S., and Ph.D., degrees in a variety of specialisations. IITM is a residential institute with more than 600 faculty and 9,500 students. Students from 18 countries are enrolled here. IITM fosters an active entrepreneurial culture with strong curricular support and through the IITM Incubation Cell.

Recognized as an Institution of Eminence (IoE) in 2019, IITM has been ranked No.1 in the ‘Overall’ Category for the fourth consecutive year in India Ranking 2022 released by National Institutional Ranking Framework, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India. The Institute has also been ranked No.1 in the ‘Engineering Institutions’ category in the same Rankings for seven consecutive years – from 2016 to 2022. It was also adjudged as the ‘Top innovative Institution’ in the country in Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) in 2019, 2020 and 2021. ARIIA Ranking was launched by the Innovation Cell of Ministry of Education.