ALOHA 2023: The Party of The Year Concludes With a Bang
SRM University-AP successfully concludes its Freshers’ Party of the year, ALOHA 2023, with extravagance. The two-day freshers’ event was inaugurated by Vice Chancellor, Prof. Manoj K Arora on October 13, 2023, in the presence of Director of Student Affairs, Mr Anil Kumar Nigam, Asst. Director of Student Affairs, Ms Revathi Balakrishnan, Visiting Professor-Paari School of Business, Prof. Prabal K Sen, and the President and Vice President of the Student Council.
“The word ‘Aloha’ embodies compassion and kindness. We welcome you to your second home, SRM University-AP where we will nurture you to be holistic individuals throughout your academic journey” stated Prof. Arora in his inaugural address. The Director of Student Affairs welcomed the freshers into the academic and social community of the university. “SRM University-AP is a place for creating friendships, exploring your potential and being the best version of yourself!” Mr Nigam addressed the freshers.
ALOHA featured a Mr and Ms Freshers’ Contest that witnessed a spectacular display of talent by the students of SRM University-AP. Dhruv Narayan Bajaj and Vaishnavi Kasturi were crowned as the Mr and Ms Fresher of 2023, respectively. Various creative club activities and competitions from photography to dance and music, to anime quiz and cubing, and traditional games such as tug-of-war and Dahi Handi are some of the innumerable activities conducted as part of the freshers’ programme. The event successfully concluded with an exclusive DJ party featuring Project 91, Prithvi Sai and international artist DJ Pozitiva.
- Published in News, student affairs news, University Event
IASc President Delivers the UDL and Inaugurates Centre of Excellence
SRM University-AP welcomed Prof. Umesh V Waghmare, President – Indian Academy of Sciences, Bengaluru on the momentous occasion of the inauguration of the Centre for Computational and Integrative Sciences and as the keynote speaker of the 16th University Distinguished Lecture held on September 27, 2023. The institute launched its eighth Centre of Excellence that embraces true interdisciplinary collaboration in alignment with the mission of SRM University-AP. Prof. Waghmare acknowledged the tremendous research infrastructure of the institute that intensifies and cultivates research, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit on campus. The Centre which is a dedicated platform for computational research, was launched in the presence of Prof. V S Rao, Advisor; Dr R Premkumar, Registrar; Prof. Ranjit Thapa, Dean-Research, Dr. Mahesh Kumar Ravva, Co-ordinator of the center, and faculty of SRM University-AP.
Prof. Waghmare also delivered an insightful session on “How Materials Shape Technologies: Past, Present and Future” as part of the 16th edition of the University Distinguished Lecture Series organised by the institute. “Material Science is an interdisciplinary field of science that witnesses the confluence of natural sciences and engineering. The history of materials (its processing) influences its structure and thus the material’s properties and performances. These diversified materials have influenced humankind significantly from the beginning of our civilization to the 21st century”, stated Prof. Waghmare in his lecture. He also expounded on how materials have been the key to technological revolutions, the impact of Quantum Physics in Material Science and combating present challenges to energy and environment through modern materials and technologies.
Prof. V S Rao, Advisor stated that the primary aim of the University Distinguished Lecture series is to inspire research scholars and students to engage in innovative initiatives that contribute to the comprehensive advancement of our nation. The lecture successfully concluded with a Q&A session and a vote of gratitude. A memento was presented to Prof. Umesh Waghmare as a token of appreciation by Dr R Premkumar.
- Published in News, University Distinguished Lecture
Robotrix: A Stepping Stone in the Field of Robotics
IndustreeOwl and Home of Leaders, Directorate of Entrepreneurship and Innovation conducted a 2-day experiential Hands-on workshop on Robotics named ROBOTRIX on September 05 and 06, 2023, in collaboration with OSSEB, a Hyderabad-based company focused on providing students with relevant skillset according to industry demands. The workshop witnessed the presence of Mr Mohammad Abdul Khayyum, Chief Executive Officer of OSSEB, and Mr Ashish Kumar, who assumed the role of mentor for the two-day event. The guest mentors attended the workshop on behalf of OSSEB, signifying their active engagement and commitment to the workshop’s primary objective to provide students with essential knowledge as a crucial stepping stone for their future endeavours.
The workshop was conducted on the topic “Hands-on Experience on Android Controlled Robotics and Bluetooth Communications”. Students were encouraged to develop their own robots that could be controlled via their Android Phone’s Bluetooth. 139 students registered for the workshop out of which 122 people attended the 2-Day hands-on workshop with many participants registering on-spot. The students were eager to participate and learn about Robotics. Out of 122, almost 50 per cent of the participants were from the NRI Institute of Technology, Vijayawada.
The Workshop also included sessions on the basics of electronics and robotics where students were made to understand the concepts like Flow of Current in a battery, Motors, etc. along with the laws of Robotics and their applications. Insight into how, in the near future Robotics will ally with Artificial Intelligence to give a new shape to the world, was also discussed. This was followed by a session on hands-on activities where participants were formally instructed in the intricacies of programming the robot to facilitate its operational functionality and how to connect to the Robot with the help of the kit provided by OSSEB with their Code.
An Eminent Guest lecture featuring Shri J A Chowdhury, former ISRO scientist, Technological Leader and innovator who has been contributing to the development of the Indian IT industry for more than 35 years was conducted on the grand occasion of Teacher’s Day. He shared his professional experience including his understanding of Robotics and how it will be pivotal in shaping the future. Shri J A Chowdhury along with Mr Udayan Bakshi, Associate Director and Mr Sundhar Singh, Manager-Outreach, Directorate of Entrepreneurship & Innovation inaugurated the Robotrix poster symbolising this momentous Workshop.
A Presentation Competition was spontaneously conducted by the IndustreeOwl team aimed at actively involving the students and fostering their practical application of the newly acquired knowledge. Pallavi Madala and Fadzai Ethel Muchina from SRM University-AP secured the first and second prize respectively.
The second day saw a continuation of hands-on training where participants were taught to develop the code for controlling the movement of the Robot. They were also taught about Bluetooth Communications and were urged to install an application in their phone which will be pivotal in controlling the Robot. The session was followed by a Quiz Competition that saw the participation of more than 100 students. Yaswanth Dhulipalla from SRM University-AP bagged the first prize, whereas Saikeerthi Aluri and Punuru Varsha Reddy from SRM University-AP won the second and third prizes respectively.
The event successfully concluded with a speech and vote of thanks by Mr Udayan Bakshi where he urged the students to continue moving forward in their Robotics journey with the help of the kits and the mentors from OSSEB. He also felicitated the guests and mentors from OSSEB and the team of IndustreeOwl for the smooth conduction of the Workshop.
The workshop has not only met but exceeded its objective of imparting students with a foundational understanding of Robots and Robot Design. This newly acquired knowledge will undoubtedly serve as a solid stepping stone for them in their future endeavours, equipping them with valuable skills and insights that will open up exciting opportunities and possibilities in the world of robotics and design.
- Published in Departmental News, IDEA NEWS, IDEA Workshop, News, Workshop
Faculty Honoured for Outstanding Services on Teachers Day Celebration
SRM University-AP enthusiastically joins the global flare of Teachers’ Day festivities, to honour and appreciate the incredible services of the teaching community. Students and staff of the varsity joined hands to put forth a heartfelt tribute to their exemplary services.
The programme saw the participation of Mr J A Chowdary as the distinguished Chief Guest for the event. Mr Chowdary is an Entrepreneur, Technology Leader and Innovator and is credited as one of the key architects of the HI-TECH City and Cyberabad in Hyderabad and in founding the International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH), and the International Institute of Digital Technologies (IIDT) at Tirupati.
During the occasion, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Manoj K Arora cited, “We are moving from the role of teachers to that of mentors and facilitators”. He took the opportunity to enlist the core values of the university, namely Show Compassion, Develop Trust, Give Mutual Respect, Create a sense of Curiosity, Serve with Integrity and Instil Social Responsibility and encouraged the faculty to align themselves to the same. Prof. Arora also announced five prominent awards for the Research Day to be held on November 17, 2023. The awards will be given out in the categories of Best Experimental Researcher, Best Theoretical Researcher, Best Industrial Researcher, Best Social Researcher and Best Young Researcher Award.
Chief Guest, Mr J A Chowdary spoke in his address on India as a land of opportunities for startups. He stated, “Most jobs in future are going to be automated and existing jobs will disappear.” In an interactive session with students, the guest also quoted that startup failures in Silicon Valley are irrelevant to India’s scenario, as for today, 9 out of every 10 startups are successful.
The event also saw the announcement of the Outstanding Teacher Awards. Prof. Ranjit Thapa, Dean i/c-School of Engineering and Sciences and Dean-Research; Dr V M Manikandan, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Dr Jatindra Kumar Dash, HoD, Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Dr Murali Krishna Enduri, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Dr Srabani Basu, Associate Professor & HoD, Department of Literature and Languages; and Dr Karthik Rajendran, Associate Dean-Quality and Assurance Rankings & HoD, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering were honoured with the Outstanding Teacher Awards. The award recipients were also seen delivering an acceptance speech and expressing their gratitude to the varsity and students.
The ceremony witnessed the varsity awarding the Five Year Services Award to its dedicated employees. The event concluded with students putting up beautiful performances for their beloved teachers and other memorable moments.
- Published in News, University Event