JSS Academy shapes the future
Pratima Adhikary Auckel
Copy Writer with News On Sunday/Financial News that also includes Industry Update. Holds a BA(Hons) and an MSc from Vishwa Bharati, Shantiniketan. She also writes features and news. She has worked for CAPART (Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology), Ministry of Rural Development, India. By Pratima Adhikary Auckel
Published on 11th July, 2008
One of the well-known Engineering colleges of the Indian Silicon Valley is installing itself in Mauritius. The JSS Academy building is ready to open its doors and receive its students on its own campus by January 2009.
For the moment, the first two batches of students are following classes outside the campus in Quatre Bornes. The JSS Academy of Technical Education will move to Bonne Terre, Vacoas, by next year. It is the first tertiary institution of Engineering in Mauritius. This college affiliated to the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Government of Karnataka, India, has been approved by the government and registered and accredited by the Tertiary Education Commission, Mauritius. It is a subsidiary of the JSS Mahavidyapeetha, which has three other engineering colleges with excellent academic reputation in Mysore, Bangalore and Noida. The fourth of the same calibre in Mauritius aims at producing trained technical manpower for developing the IT hub. Aiming at being a Centre for Excellence in technical education in Mauritius and in the Indian Ocean is a positive step for our educational hub.
Five years ago, there was a proposal to provide training in IT to Mauritians. Now this project leads to a full-fledged engineering college.
Dr. Mahadevaiah Shanthakumar, the Principal and CEO says: “When Mauritius wants to be an educational hub, its output has to get into an IT hub. Likewise, one cannot benefit from an IT hub unless there are many educational institutions producing engineering and technological genius.” He also points out that the whole world is looking towards Indian IT and Engineering degree holders. No doubt Mauritius offers an excellent base where it can boost political stability, strategic location and more importantly, bilingual French and English. Shantakumar feels that there is place for tertiary institutions to grow, adding that many improvements have to be made in this sector.
“It has to offer many courses with efforts on rigorous teaching. A knowledge hub is only possible when all the stakeholders in the educational sector form a synergy. It should keep its avenues open to foreign institutions setting up branches and making the field more competitive,” he advises.
Although there are not so many problems faced by overseas partners, there is one major issue that needs to be addressed: the accessibility and flow of human resources.
“We get dedicated and efficient administrative staff, but the availability of qualified lecturers in Engineering and Information Technology is very scarce. We have to recruit lecturers from India, but we would appreciate to have some Mauritians too. It is not easy to obtain work permits for foreigners for a long period. The renewal of permit after two years is not easy. Nonetheless we hope that the government will solve this problem. We rely on the cooperation and support of the local authorities,” he adds.
At present, JSS Academy receives students from Mauritius, India, Kenya and Uganda in its II and IV semesters. The third batch will start on August 15 next. It is still receiving applications and queries locally and regionally.
“A boy who ranked fifth at the HSC level has taken admission in view of the reputation and the international recognition of the degree. Although the start has been low, but in the years to come we will definitely be the No. 1 in Engineering and Information Technology. Most of the IT companies in UK, France etc., are looking for students who have obtained Indian degree and have French base. Our degree has an edge in this respect. Our expertise over more than 50 years in academic administration and setting up of technical institutions will benefit the Mauritian students, who will then contribute to the development of the educational and IT hubs in the region,” says Shanthakumar.
Producing high-tech engineers
The new campus at Bonne Terre, Vacoas, spreads over a portion of land of 8 acres, and some 200 metres from the main road. This project evaluated at Rs 600 million has its own infrastructures, hi-design complex, and unique architectural design.
The first phase will be ready for the January intake. This will be followed by the construction of another mirror image in the next phase.
The staff includes qualified and experienced tutors from India. Trained and skilled non-teaching staffs are recruited locally to take care of lab maintenance and assistance to students. Spacious classrooms are equipped with Computer, Internet and LCD Projectors, conference halls on each floor, centralized digital library with a separate reference wing for its students.
The campus has separate hostel facilities capable of accommodating 64 boys and 32 girls in the first phase, along with a guesthouse, a staff quarter for at least 24 families, a separate building housing a canteen, a bank and a post office, a swimming pool and other indoor games facilities. The college will provides its own transport facilities over the island. This institution will also offer Post-Graduation courses like M.Tech in Network and Internet Technology, M.Tech System Engineering of VTU. The college will be starting further U.G courses in B. Engg in Mechanical, Civil engineering courses of VTU, and MBA, MCA courses of VTU in the near future. The examinations at the college will be held parallel to those in India: on the same day at the same time, and with the same question paper and with the same syllabus as that of the other remaining 150 engineering colleges of the government of Karnataka. Students will carry out their project works at the final year in Mauritius or in India.
The authorities will follow the trend of facilitating campus interviews/placements by leading industries like Infosys, IBM, WIPRO, INTEL, HP, etc. Alternatively, the campus placements will also be allowed, along with its sister engineering colleges at Mysore, Bangalore and Noida.
An evening B.Engg degree course for the benefit of those who have done their diploma level courses is on the line. The Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Park (STEP) concept will follow next.
This campus seems to be a promising Centre of Excellence in Engineering Education in Mauritius and in the African belt based on international standards.
Five years ago, there was a proposal to provide training in IT to Mauritians. Now this project leads to a full-fledged engineering college.
Dr. Mahadevaiah Shanthakumar, the Principal and CEO says: “When Mauritius wants to be an educational hub, its output has to get into an IT hub. Likewise, one cannot benefit from an IT hub unless there are many educational institutions producing engineering and technological genius.” He also points out that the whole world is looking towards Indian IT and Engineering degree holders. No doubt Mauritius offers an excellent base where it can boost political stability, strategic location and more importantly, bilingual French and English. Shantakumar feels that there is place for tertiary institutions to grow, adding that many improvements have to be made in this sector.
“It has to offer many courses with efforts on rigorous teaching. A knowledge hub is only possible when all the stakeholders in the educational sector form a synergy. It should keep its avenues open to foreign institutions setting up branches and making the field more competitive,” he advises.
Although there are not so many problems faced by overseas partners, there is one major issue that needs to be addressed: the accessibility and flow of human resources.
“We get dedicated and efficient administrative staff, but the availability of qualified lecturers in Engineering and Information Technology is very scarce. We have to recruit lecturers from India, but we would appreciate to have some Mauritians too. It is not easy to obtain work permits for foreigners for a long period. The renewal of permit after two years is not easy. Nonetheless we hope that the government will solve this problem. We rely on the cooperation and support of the local authorities,” he adds.
At present, JSS Academy receives students from Mauritius, India, Kenya and Uganda in its II and IV semesters. The third batch will start on August 15 next. It is still receiving applications and queries locally and regionally.
“A boy who ranked fifth at the HSC level has taken admission in view of the reputation and the international recognition of the degree. Although the start has been low, but in the years to come we will definitely be the No. 1 in Engineering and Information Technology. Most of the IT companies in UK, France etc., are looking for students who have obtained Indian degree and have French base. Our degree has an edge in this respect. Our expertise over more than 50 years in academic administration and setting up of technical institutions will benefit the Mauritian students, who will then contribute to the development of the educational and IT hubs in the region,” says Shanthakumar.
Producing high-tech engineers
The new campus at Bonne Terre, Vacoas, spreads over a portion of land of 8 acres, and some 200 metres from the main road. This project evaluated at Rs 600 million has its own infrastructures, hi-design complex, and unique architectural design.
The first phase will be ready for the January intake. This will be followed by the construction of another mirror image in the next phase.
The staff includes qualified and experienced tutors from India. Trained and skilled non-teaching staffs are recruited locally to take care of lab maintenance and assistance to students. Spacious classrooms are equipped with Computer, Internet and LCD Projectors, conference halls on each floor, centralized digital library with a separate reference wing for its students.
The campus has separate hostel facilities capable of accommodating 64 boys and 32 girls in the first phase, along with a guesthouse, a staff quarter for at least 24 families, a separate building housing a canteen, a bank and a post office, a swimming pool and other indoor games facilities. The college will provides its own transport facilities over the island. This institution will also offer Post-Graduation courses like M.Tech in Network and Internet Technology, M.Tech System Engineering of VTU. The college will be starting further U.G courses in B. Engg in Mechanical, Civil engineering courses of VTU, and MBA, MCA courses of VTU in the near future. The examinations at the college will be held parallel to those in India: on the same day at the same time, and with the same question paper and with the same syllabus as that of the other remaining 150 engineering colleges of the government of Karnataka. Students will carry out their project works at the final year in Mauritius or in India.
The authorities will follow the trend of facilitating campus interviews/placements by leading industries like Infosys, IBM, WIPRO, INTEL, HP, etc. Alternatively, the campus placements will also be allowed, along with its sister engineering colleges at Mysore, Bangalore and Noida.
An evening B.Engg degree course for the benefit of those who have done their diploma level courses is on the line. The Science and Technology Entrepreneurs Park (STEP) concept will follow next.
This campus seems to be a promising Centre of Excellence in Engineering Education in Mauritius and in the African belt based on international standards.