An industry-institute interaction workshop was held at the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology, Burla, last week. Representatives of 12 industries, apart from the varsity’s senior faculty members and students, took part in the event. Members of companies such as Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, Vedanta Limited, Western Electricity Supply Company of Odisha, Aditya Aluminium, NTPC, Nalco, Bhushan Steel Plant, Hirakud Hydropower, Hirakud Dam Project and professors of the varsity took part in various sessions and spoke on industrial trends and experiences. The students were exposed to newer technologies and engineering methodologies. The varsity’s industry-institute interaction cell’s chairman Amar Nath Naik delivered a lecture during the occasion and said that more such workshops would be held for the students’ benefit.

Trend talk

Students of personnel management and industrial relations department of Utkal University conducted a national seminar on the shifting trends of human resource management to human capital management on May 14 and 15. Experts in the field introduced the students to the significance of human capital management in organisations and talent management.

The students also discussed the importance of transforming companies into learning organisations. Human resource heads of companies such as the NTPC, Infosys, Tata Steel and Nalco spoke about capital management and how it is taking into consideration not only people as a resource but also collective talents and skills of its individuals as a whole. On the concluding day, an alumni meet was also held. 

Toppers’ time

A felicitation ceremony for the toppers of MPC Autonomous College, Baripada, was held on the college campus last week. As many as 24 students, including 17 toppers of Plus Three postgraduate students, were felicitated by the guests. The speakers, including college president Banaja Mohanty, additional district magistrate Suratha Das, examinations controller Dibya Shakar Pal and educator Harihar Das, encouraged the students and gave lectures on the pros and cons of various professions and told them to choose their careers after due deliberation. The students also shared their experiences of studying at the college.

Wi-Fi row

Berhampur University students are having a tough time since the 24-hour Wi-Fi service, provided by the University Grants Commission (UGC) since the past one month to facilitate the researchers in the varsity, has shut down. 

Authorities are silent on the issue, but some students alleged that the service was closed after outsiders used to regularly visit the university campus in the evening to use the free service. It often led to tussles between the authorities and the outsiders. 

The students have demanded to make the service password protected and restrict outsiders to use the Internet. 

The Wi-Fi equipment was fitted in the library building at an estimated cost of Rs 25 lakh. The authorities have assured to fix the problem shortly.

Noble profession

The Driems School and College of Nursing celebrated International Nurses Day (the birthday of Florence Nightingale) on May 12 with great fanfare and enthusiasm on their campus at Tangi. 

Addressing the students on the occasion, chief district medical officer P.K. Behera said nursing was a noble profession and dedication, determination and selfless service were the hallmarks of a good nurse. 

Students took an oath to follow the footprints of Florence Nightingale — the lady with the lamp — to serve the society. 

A number of students spoke on this year’s theme of the International Council of Nurses titled “Nurses — A Force for Change: Improving Health Systems Resilience”. A cultural programme was also held where the students staged a number of dance and musical recitals.  

Annual fest

The two-day annual fest of the Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital, Bhubaneswar, under the SOA University was held last week. 

The fest titled Impulse saw Sindhunandini Tripathy, former head of the department of gynaecology and obstetrics of SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, telling the students and faculty members in medical colleges to keep abreast of the changes taking place in medical science to ensure that they churned out quality treatment. 

She further urged them to get into research work as well. A number of competitions and cultural programmes were also held in the fest. The students pledged to maintain discipline, stating that it was the key to medical profession.