A first-of-its kind residential summer program, designed to transform students into tinkerers, fearless leaders, and problem solvers.
India, 24th June, 2024: Plaksha University, a technology university reimagining higher education and research in India, successfully concluded the seventh edition of its Young Technology Scholars (YTS) program. This pioneering residential summer program is crafted to transform high school students into inventive tinkerers, fearless leaders, and adept problem solvers.
YTS is a two-week intensive program that offers hands-on, interdisciplinary learning opportunities to a select group of high school students from across India. Designed by esteemed faculty from leading global universities and alumni of prestigious institutions such as Stanford, HBS, UC Berkeley, IITs, and IIMs, YTS stands at the forefront of educational innovation.
Dr. Shashikant Pawar, Assistant Professor at Plaksha University and Faculty in Charge of YTS, remarked, "YTS is designed to foster the development and skills of school students in tackling complex societal issues. By engaging them in active collaboration with experts and scholars from various fields, we empower young minds to explore the connections between different disciplines. This interdisciplinary learning allows students to leverage their collective knowledge and skills, leading to innovative solutions to these challenges."
“YTS exemplifies Plaksha University's commitment to nurturing the next generation of tech innovators and leaders. By providing a dynamic platform for interdisciplinary learning and real-world problem-solving, Plaksha is shaping the future of technology education and creating future ready tech leaders for India and the world,” he added.
This year's program saw the participation of 240 talented students from Classes 9 to 12, representing 60 cities and 133 schools across India. Notably, 43 students were awarded need-based scholarships, ensuring accessibility to exceptional educational experiences.
Students delved into programming basics, advanced algorithm development, and microcontroller coding to analyze signals, thereby enhancing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills for future-ready career paths. The program emphasized on understanding the 'why' behind problems, encouraging students to interact with diverse fields, connect disciplines, and analyze contexts to find innovative solutions. This approach prepares students to become future tech leaders. They also participated in the maker-builder model, fostering an environment where they could learn, unlearn, and relearn, leading to impactful technological solutions.
During the program, students worked on various captivating projects such as body-wearable sensors for Parkinson's patients, weather information systems for smart homes, agricultural robots, teleoperated robots, biodiesel production from algae, and multimodal cardiac bio-sensing frameworks. These projects, mentored by Dr. Ravi Jasuja (Director, Translational Research & Discovery, BWH, Harvard Medical School), Dr. Hanumant Singh (Director, Multidisciplinary Center of Robotics, Northeastern University), Plaksha faculty members (Dr. Malini Balakrishnan, Dr. Monika Sharma and Dr. Arshdeep Sidhu), and industry experts, were designed to foster creativity, critical thinking, and innovation among the scholars.
About Plaksha University:
Founded by a global community of more than 100 technology and business leaders, Plaksha envisions reimagining technology education and research for India and the world. With strong partnerships with UC Berkeley, Purdue, UC San Diego, IIT Kanpur, and IISc Bengaluru, Plaksha aims to nurture and empower a generation of catalytic leaders and create an ecosystem of research and innovation. The university collapses the traditional boundaries of engineering and promotes interdisciplinary learning by combining technology, design and entrepreneurship.
Plaksha is guided by an eminent academic board including Dr. Vijay Kumar, Nemirovsky Family Dean of Penn Engineering, University of Pennsylvania; Venkatesh Narayanamurthi, former Dean of Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; Sriram Rajamani, Managing Director, Microsoft Research India; Julia Ross, Dean of Engineering, Virginia Tech; Krishna Palepu, Ross Graham Walker Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School; Sanjay Sarma, Fred Fort Flowers and Daniel Fort Flowers Professor of Mechanical Engineering, MIT; and business leaders such as Neeraj Aggarwal, Chairman – Asia Pacific, BCG; Hitesh Oberoi, Co-promoter & CEO, Info Edge (Naukri.com); Srikanth Velamakanni, Co-founder, Fractal Analytics; Manas Fuloria, Co- Founder, Nagarro; Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises; Navin Chaddha, Managing Director, Mayfield Fund; Sujeet Kumar, Co-founder, Udaan.com; Dalip Pathak, Special Limited Partner, Warburg Pincus LLC; CP Gurnani, MD & CEO, Tech Mahindra; Pramod Bhasin, Chairman, Clix Capital among others. Corporate donors include companies like Bharti Foundation, Havells, HT Parekh Foundation, Mphasis, Axis Bank and Motilal Oswal. The global community of business leaders who founded Plaksha can be seen here.