Christened ‘1729', after Ramanujan - Hardy

number, the Plaksha newsletter is a window

into our thriving, interconnected and learner

centered environment where Plakshans look

beyond the obvious, just like Srinivas

Ramanujan did with the seemingly dull

number ‘1729'.

Through this newsletter we share the

contribution of each member of our vibrant

community of learners, researchers, leaders,

innovators and problem solvers to reimagine

technology education.

Prof Rudra Pratap

Founding Vice Chancellor

Plaksha University

REFLECTIONS: FROM THE

VICE CHANCELLOR’S DESK

At Plaksha, we are committed to designing

and implementing the most innovative

pedagogy in the world for university educa-

tion, particularly for the modern technology

education.

The very inception of our university is from

the collective conviction of 100 plus found-

ers and 30 plus academic leaders from

across the world as our advisors on

‘Reimagining Higher Education’. We live by

these words and constantly think about

innovation in content, delivery and assess-

ment (learning) of what we teach.

While we certainly learn from the best

practices across the world, we take nothing

for granted. Education, and even pedagogy,

has a signiﬁcant cultural underpinning, even

for technology education, that is usually not

visible. This is why what works in Palo Alto is

not necessarily the solution in Mohali. We

like to think for ourselves and train our

students for the same.

I hope you see, through the pages of this

issue of 1729, the pedagogical innovations

at Plaksha, but more importantly, the free-

dom of thought, behind those innovations.

Happy reading!

JULY 15, 2024 - JAN 15, 2025

VOL 03 - IS SUE 01

NEWSLETTER

PEDAGOGY FOR

CENTURY THE 21ST

SHAPING SOLUTIONS FOR TOMORROW

We live in uncertain times. This is the era of

pandemics, global warming, demographic

shifts, mass migrations, geopolitical chaos,

societal changes and the rise of intelligent

machines. Chaos is the new black. The societ-

ies that rise to the challenge will thrive while

those that ignore the world's constant shifts

will struggle. In the past, we looked to politi-

cians and titans of industry to lead us through

diﬃcult times. They led us through world wars,

economic depressions, industrialization,

globalization and many societal changes. But

today the problems are more complex, more

interconnected, more systemic. Only the

innovators, who can build new solutions for

the endless stream of problems, will be able to

lead humanity towards a more stable future.

Yes, the disruptors, the risk takers, the vision-

aries, those who were once seen as crazy will

be needed to face these challenges.

This is why it is no longer suﬃcient to become

simply a clever engineer. The world needs

young entrepreneurs, sizzling with unre-

strained energy and jugaad, who can bring

clever engineering to the market. We must

inspire the next generation to tackle the

world's most 'wicked' problems, not just the

mundane Python problem sets. We must

convince the next generation that they are up

to the task, that their youthful eyes will see

solutions that the older generation cannot.

This is why Plaksha is so important. It is not

just a university, it is an incubator for the

future, incubating technology leaders who will

be ready to take on the biggest challenges on

behalf of the rest of us. India has been the

birthplace of many ideologies, technological

discoveries, and ways of life. Through institu-

tions like Plaksha, India will rise to its rightful

place among the societies that will deﬁne and

create the future that we all aspire for.

Plaksha’s Minor in Technology Entrepreneurship, in collaboration with SCET, UC Berkeley was recently launched with a four-day

Innovation Leadership Bootcamp led by Ken Singer and Moor Xu (Game Master, SCET).

Ken Singer

Chief Learning Oﬃcer and MD

Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship

and Technology, UC Berkeley

Chair, European Innovation Academy Council

P E D A G O G Y F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y

Masters of Innovation

LEARNING BY DOING - ILGC & MORE

Engineering and technology are advancing at

such an unprecedented rate that the world

awakens every day anticipating yesterday’s

ﬁction to be today’s reality. The next genera-

tion of aspiring engineers is conﬂicted

between the excitement of what the future

heralds and the fear of how to stay relevant

within it.

At Plaksha University, students are prepared

not just with what to learn, but also the how

and why of learning! By the time Plakshans

graduate, they see the interconnectedness of

things and are unafraid of pushing their own

boundaries. They enjoy ‘learning by doing’.

They ﬁgure out how to make things work, how

much time to put in to make it work and what

to learn to make it happen. They understand

the ethics of technology, develop empathy,

self-awareness and march towards their

futures with a sense of purpose. All this is

made possible because the curriculum and

pedagogy is designed so that stepping into

Plaksha is akin to stepping out into the

real world.

Research plays a pivotal role in our undergrad-

uate education, especially in bridging the gap

between theoretical learning and practical

application. Plaksha’s unique freshmore curric-

ulum is driven by faculty who work on cutting-

edge research in domains of AI, robotics,

biological sciences, economics and humanities.

Students appreciate how the advances of

today can be reduced to foundational con-

cepts of science and math. They learn how to

observe nature and the world around them,

how to design and build with various materi-

als, how to question and reason, and to com-

municate and work in teams. A concept taught

in any course connects to practical application,

be it building a bridge, a handheld gadget or a

microscopic circuit. Concepts across multiple

courses intertwine to create interdisciplinary

outcomes. This systems-level approach gets

students excited and equipped to tackle real-

world problems from the get-go. When fresh-

men approach faculty at the end of the class

with a shy smile, it’s not always because they

have a simple doubt but often because they

want to know if they can get started in our

research labs!

Innovation Lab Grand Challenges (ILGC) Studio

is a sequence of courses that facilitates stu-

dents to pursue apprenticeship under Plaksha

faculty right from their ﬁrst semester. They

ambitiously take on cutting-edge research

topics such as creating digital twins of algae,

applying Turing patterns to understand

Alzheimer’s, creating an AI tutor that emulates

peer learning, building self-navigating robots

for use in hospitals, and developing aug-

mented reality modules for education. At the

same time, they develop domain expertise

through accompanying core and elective

courses of their respective majors.

It has been a pleasure to see students meta-

morphose through their ILGC journey. In the

4th semester, they are challenged by the

enormity of the research problem, and they

realize that there are just too many i's to dot

and t’s to cross before they can get anywhere.

They learn what it means to take ownership in

front of a jury of experts. From 6th semester

onwards, a noticeable transformation hap-

pens. Some students get so far ahead on their

projects that it is no longer easy to evaluate

them. Some start spending a lot more time to

get to that conference or journal paper. ILGC

projects start winning competitions, securing

admissions to prestigious research groups

or the interest of investors who see it as a

viable startup.

The world of technology will continue advanc-

ing at an unprecedented pace. But soon

Plakshans will drive some of it, steer some

of it and they are certainly ready to take on

any of it.

Dr Srikant Srinivasan

Associate Dean, Global Engagements

Chair Associate Professor, Plaksha University

ILGC is a journey of growth, challenge and transformation.

P E D A G O G Y F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y

Masters of Innovation

BLENDING RESEARCH AND TEACHING

Plaksha University is undertaking an ambitious

project aimed at developing a framework for

restoration of rivers and their tributaries, blend-

ing research and undergraduate teaching across

multiple courses. Besides addressing the press-

ing environmental challenges faced by rapidly

growing urban communities, this initiative is

expected to create the next generation of

innovators.

As per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

report (2018), 351 rivers stretches across India,

mostly located near urban settlements, were

polluted. One such river is Ghaggar, originating

in the Shivalik hills of Himachal Pradesh, ﬂowing

through Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The

Ghaggar receives industrial and domestic

wastewater discharges from communities

located along its tributaries, which deteriorate

the overall water quality of the river. An Action

Plan for Clean Ghaggar was released in 2019 to

restore water quality of the river as per a direc-

tive from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

Many streams merge into the Ghaggar, one of

them is N-Choe that originates in Chandigarh

and runs close to Plaksha University. Our team

is studying a 20-km stretch of N-Choe to under-

stand the sources and nature of pollution and

the potential treatment solutions. The aim is to

create a model for implementing similar water

quality restoration practices in other urban

centers in India.

While the Center for Water Security is leading

the research, elements from various undergrad-

uate courses are being incorporated to obtain a

more diverse and comprehensive view. Last

semester, the students were taken on a visit to

four ‘urban villages’ viz. Raipur Khurd, Chilla,

Chao Majra and Kambala, located along the N-

Choe. As part of ILGC Studio, they observed the

challenges related to sustainable urban devel-

opment, aligned with the United Nations’

Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11).

In subsequent semesters, the students break

down these challenges into speciﬁc solvable

problems, followed by solutions framing and

value proposition. The elements of design and

innovation, including design following

biomimicry principles, as well as eﬀective

communication, that are taught in other

courses, are incorporated in ILGC. This interdis-

ciplinary approach is expected to equip stu-

dents with both technical expertise and empa-

thy, empowering them to become change-

makers in addressing the complex urbanization

and environmental issues of tomorrow.

Through this initiative, Plaksha University will

not only oﬀer a framework for restoring urban

water streams but will also contribute towards

shaping future leaders who can innovate and

drive sustainable solutions worldwide.

Prof Malini Balakrishnan

Director, Center for Water Security

Professor, Plaksha University

P E D A G O G Y F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y

As part of our ﬂagship Innovation Lab & Grand Challenges (ILGC) Studio, we introduce students to challenges faced by

our society that can be solved with technological capabilities.

Plaksha Initiative

Of course, no tool ﬁts every situation. Google

Slides, LaTeX, and PowerPoint each come with

their own strengths and challenges. However,

experimenting with diﬀerent platforms unlocks

new creative possibilities. With Figma, I have

added another versatile tool to my repertoire –

one that inspires me to push boundaries in

crafting engaging course material.

Simplify and clarify: Attention is quickly lost

using big words, complex jargon, and convo-

luted pretzelesque examples. Expression of

ideas is the only channel you have to the

student’s mind, and for beginners, concise and

easy-to-understand explanations are essential.

Use simple language and relatable analogies to

attract the students’ interest and as the saying

goes, “Keep it simple, Silly.”

Teaching is a constant evolution. Each lecture

is an opportunity to reﬁne your craft, inspire

growth, and spark curiosity. The key is to

challenge and inspire your students but also

yourself as an educator.

In my three years as a teaching fellow, part-

time instructor, and now a full-time instructor,

I have always strived to enhance student

learning experience. The classroom is a stage,

described aptly by a friend, “It’s a performance

and you better give them a good one.” This

couldn’t be truer in the last semester (ending

Dec 2024) while interacting with the ﬁrst-

semester students I found myself using the

ﬂexibility of the curriculum and the feedback

of a live audience, as a platform to direct this

‘show’. My greatest challenge? Holding their

attention. Over time I have discovered a few

strategies to overcome this challenge.

Gamify lectures: Games have universal

appeal. Whether you fancy yourself a gamer

(like me) or not, the word ‘game’ tends to pique

interest. Gamifying a lecture transforms

abstract concepts into interactive, memorable

experiences. I recently used the Star Wars lore

as context to teach concepts of Object-

Oriented Programming. We made up a game

with the characters and got them to interact in

this world, on the spot. This familiar context

allowed the students to be much more

engaged and helped them grasp complex

ideas with ease.

Discuss, don’t dictate: Sharing material with

students beforehand fosters active learning. It

encourages them to spend time marinating in

the content and come to class with the intent

of engaging in discussion-based learning

rather than the traditional, ‘I talk, you listen’

lectures. This approach deepens engagement

and also signals trust in their ability to take

ownership of their learning.

Refresh and recycle: Re-creating course

material instead of reusing it enables continu-

ous reﬁnement, fresh perspectives, and the

ﬂexibility to explore new mediums and plat-

forms. This semester, I chose to create my

lecture slides using Figma, a mostly design-

focused platform. While unconventional for

academic use, the abundance of tools and

control challenged and inspired me to rethink

my process, making slide creation an enjoyable

and creative task that I look forward to.

STRATEGIES TO ENGAGE, INSPIRE

AND EVOLVE

Raghav Awasty

Data Scientist, Plaksha University

P E D A G O G Y F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y

Success Spotlight

CREATING INDEPENDENT LEARNERS

The role of a teacher has dramatically changed

in the last 20 years, owing to easier and wider

access to information through the internet. At

Plaksha teaching is designed to cultivate core

skills that enable learners to enquire critically,

analyze and synthesize information, apply

rational thoughts and construct new knowledge

from rational sources at the click of a button.

Eﬀective teaching can no longer be a mono-

logue directed at the students but must be a

dialogical, argumentative, reﬂective activity

inside or outside the walls of a classroom.

Learning styles: For historical reasons, we club

all the learners born in a year into a class, yet

everyone has their unique style and pace of

learning. In reasonably sized classrooms, it is

immensely useful to gauge the learning style of

the group and design class discussions custom-

ized to the learning styles of the majority while

also being mindful of the minority. Not surpris-

ingly, most of the students are audio-visual

and kinesthetic learners. Thus, incorporating

animations, videos and dynamic activities

increases class participation and improves

information recall.

Interactive classrooms: Today, students have

easier access to information via internet. This is

a great opportunity to steer them towards self-

directed learning, which is a foundation for

creating life-long learners. Self-directed learning

provides time in the classroom session to

involve students in dialogues, arguments and

debates as interactive classrooms in various

formats thus integrating technical education

with communication skills and personality

development.

Assessment: Conceptual understanding can

only be assessed by application and critique of

the concept and not memorization of the

concept. Our continuous and end semester

assessments are centered around hands-on

or ideation projects that are simulations of

real-world problem solving.

In my course, Personalized Healthcare &

Medicine, discussions are around cutting-

edge research in genomics that is making

gene therapy and personalization of medicine

possible. While it is a great feat that today

genes can be edited to treat diseases, some

very important aspects like consent, data

privacy, data ownership, discrimination, policy

and ﬁnances need to be understood and

discussed. To emphasize that everyone asso-

ciated with the course needs to be the ambas-

sador of this knowledge, I designed an end

semester survey to gauge if a lay person with

at least 12 years of school education (with or

without biology education) is equipped to give

an informed consent about any genetic test-

ing and personalized medicine.

On paper, a survey does not sound very

exciting, but this one was an eye opener for

students. They realized how much work needs

to be done to implement technologies in a

meaningful way. Academic semesters have

rolled on, but I continue to get emails from

students wanting to explore how we can

create an impact.

By adapting and developing new pedagogical

frameworks – novel ways of engaging with

students – faculty become facilitators of

learning and in the process create independ-

ent learners.

In the courses Genetics & Genetics Engineering and Personalized Healthcare & Medicine, Dr Arshdeep Sidhu engages with

students outside the classroom conditioning to help apply concepts to real world situations.

Dr Arshdeep Sidhu

Assistant Professor, Plaksha University

P E D A G O G Y F O R T H E 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y

Success Spotlight