Panel discussion on STEM education moots more practical approach in learning

Kolkata: There was a need to have higher practical approach in the learning modules for children in Indian schools to keep pace with modern changes in the education system, participants at a panel discussion on STEM education said.

US Consul General, Kolkata, Melinda Pavek, Vice-Chancellor of Adamas University Prof Suranjan Das and others participated in the panel discussion on Monday which was jointly organised by the US Consulate and Bengal Chamber of Commerce.

Pavek said the panel discussion was meant to have an overview of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education with the global perspective in mind.

She said there is a need to upgrade to keep pace with global needs and requirements and referred to the change in the education landscape.

Pavek said many more colleges can be involved in STEM education for greater collaborative ventures.

Talking about the need for education based on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Das, a renowned historian and former VC of Jadavpur University, advocated more industry-academia interaction to hook children to practical science-based learning at the outset.

"When I was the VC of JU, the students had developed an innovative ventilator from available resources. I wrote to every chamber of commerce in the city to help in the follow-up patent effort through their Research and Development cell but there were no takers to help our students by manufacturing the tool. Finally, a foreign university came forward to back our students to patent the innovation," he recalled.

Das mooted a collaborative approach in the education sector here to ensure better marketability in future of the invented product devised by the students during their learning process.