NIT: Pushing the Limits

The dream to nurture, cultivate and strengthen the sacred bond between the National Institute of Technology Srinagar (erstwhile REC Srinagar) and its generous alumni, and other philanthropists, will soon become a reality. I am on job religiously and sincerely, assigned to me by Prof B K Kanaujia. Honestly though, I was not qualified for the same.

The challenges of the modern era demand that we prepare our young generation to face the world with wisdom, vision, courage, and sound knowledge.  This cannot be achieved in isolation. Thus, it is our joint venture and collective obligation to ensure that they are ready to serve the humanity, uprightly, honestly and with integrity. 

Our distinguished alumni, spread across the globe since 1965, can contribute in numerous ways to the institute’s academic and scientific mission—conducting joint research on real-world problems, teaching short-term courses, or serving as adjunct faculty in emerging fields, an opportunity available at your alma mater. With the renewed emphasis on the internationalization of higher education, coupled with National Education Policy, we plan to establish the House of Wisdom – Alumni Knowledge Bridge (AKB) for our beloved alumni within the proposed new campus at Pulwama. This dream project for which I have worked whole winter.

I am delighted to mention that Hon’ble L G of Jammu and Kashmir Shri Manoj Sinha is eager and enthusiastic to establish the New Campus at Pulwama, the land known for saffron cultivation and now for knowledge houses. Many good institutions including AIIMS are being built up in the area. Recently, I visited Birla Open Minds, Pampore, a model Institution and a light house in South Kashmir, has visionary leaders at its back and on its roadmap.

In today’s world, no institution can survive without maintaining strong and meaningful relationships with its alumni and philanthropists. This has been a pressing concern for us for years even for my senior predecessors, which include Prof A A Mir, Prof M S Mir and Prof N A Sheikh. A comprehensive alumni engagement strategy is in progress and will hopefully become an institutional priority, requiring the active participation of all stakeholders in strategic planning. Since alumni are key stakeholders of their alma mater, and when effectively engaged, they play a crucial role in expanding its influence—not just locally, but globally.

Alumni can offer opportunities to students within their organizations or leverage their networks to provide opportunities elsewhere. This indispensable role will help us in realising the vision of Viksit Bharat. Another significant avenue for alumni contributions is through donations, either directed toward a specific activity or supporting a range of initiatives. These could include establishing world-class research centers—akin to the Research Park at IIT Madras—and developing infrastructure in emerging fields of science and technology, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reinforcing our shared responsibility towards Mother Earth and young generation need to become the brand ambassadors of sustainable lifestyle and spread awareness in the society about our duties. 

Many institutions have successfully leveraged their alumni connections to accomplish various goals, including introducing global curricula and international network—an urgent need in the near future, besides providing real-world connections and help to make the institute’s stakeholders more world-ready.

The contributions from Alumni can take many other forms—funding scholarships or fellowships to support students, particularly those facing financial hardships. Numerous examples illustrate the transformative impact of such support. Who among us will take up this noble cause? Some may choose to establish endowment funds, as Alfred did, ensuring long-term, sustainable funding for recognizing outstanding teachers and researchers at their alma mater. Recently, Dr. Fatima Jalid and Dr. Majid Hussain were recognized nationally, and we have a versatile group of researchers ranked among the top 2% in the Stanford rankings. However, the long-cherished dream of instituting Best Awards for outstanding faculty and students on Teachers' Day remains unfulfilled due to a lack of endowment funding. We can also support short-term courses in cutting-edge fields such as Space Science, Cybersecurity, Semiconductors, Green Technologies, Smart Housing, Durable Transportation, Quantum Information & Computation, Automation, Artificial Intelligence, and Sustainable Nano-Materials for Green Energy and Medical applications. Who will step forward to make this a reality, jointly or individually? It will help us to push the boundaries of teaching and research. Science and bold creativity must unite to address present challenges. AI and cybersecurity must evolve together. 

Few of you can engage in weekend classes for one-credit courses, a growing trend in IIT Hyderabad by its visionary leader Prof B S Murthy and other top institutes in the country. Probably this is also the way for connecting generations, reinforcing traditional values of diligence, respect, perseverance, empathy, and shared wisdom. Recently, I visited an upright police officer, who said he changed his profession after half a decade but well versed in fixing transmission lines and the losses occurred. That knowledge is needed to the new generation. A stronger inter-generational tie is the need of the time, as many complain about young generation regarding their habits and tendencies. It will lead to healthier societies in and outside institutions where elders feel respected, honoured and young individuals inherit values that shape their life and future. We deeply value your involvement and look forward for support in all such initiatives. We are also planning to establish alumni chapters in different regions, states, and countries, as envisioned by our visionaries Dr. Zarabi, Prof. Gupta, and Prof. Sehgal. These chapters will foster a sense of community, facilitate networking, and strengthen the alumni bond with the institute. A strong and active alumni network can significantly benefit us, enhancing our global reach and visibility. The public perception of NIT Srinagar is significantly shaped by its distinguished and upright alumni serving the union territory, country and beyond.

The foremost responsibility of this office is to build a robust bridge connecting alumni, faculty and students of NIT Srinagar worldwide. We have to make strategies to identify the gaps in alumni relationships and bridge them as soon as possible, which can open up many exciting opportunities both for institutions and alumni. The dream of rebuilding, educational, emotional and social bridges between alma mater and alumni, ensuring that wisdom, integrity, seriousness and mutual care are preserved in this ever changing and bold world. We are actively working to engage our alumni in numerous significant projects, including fostering strategic partnerships with alumni and ensuring a lasting connection between them and their alma mater. Effective stewardship is essential for sustaining and expanding alumni-driven initiatives. Our team, which includes Dr. Pali, Dr. Dinesh, Mr Dubey and Mr Rafiq Wani (9469836033) is dedicated to encourage alumni to stay connected and give back to their alma mater, in whatever way; even a customized pencil will work for an underprivileged student. They are a reflection of its glorious past, a representation of its present, and an emotional bridge to its future. 

We firmly believe our alumni are vital to the continued success of the institute, and with this belief, we will continue to create opportunities for them to return to campus and ensure they always feel an enduring connection with their institute as their first home. The registration of the Alumni Association is progressing, as assured by Director, Industries and Commerce, Kashmir. At the same time, I will not hesitate to apologize if there were any past inconveniences at your beloved alma mater and assure you of our commitment to strengthening this relationship for the benefit of all. 

The author Prof. (Dr.) M A Shah is Dean, Alumni & International Affairs, National Institute of Technology Srinagar.