A platform of former students of Jadavpur University based in the US has contributed Rs 32 lakh so students get the opportunity to engage in new-age research in a university struggling with outdated facilities.
Representatives of the California-based group of former Jadavpur University students, which launched a fund-raising drive to help the cash-strapped university, were present on the campus on Thursday to inaugurate the Analog and Mixed Signal VLSI lab and IOT (Internet of Things) and Embedded ML (Machine Learning) Laboratory.
The labs, set up with the contribution from the Global Jadavpur University Alumni Foundation, will function under the Integrated Circuit Centre of Excellence, which is part of JU’s electronics and telecommunication engineering (ETCE) department .
The funds have been used to procure computers and software licences, said Shubhankar Basu, a former student who lives in San Francisco.
The centre of excellence, which is looking forward to producing new-age semiconductor professionals, requires support so the infrastructure deficiencies can be addressed, Basu said.
“Through these labs, we intend to create a full ecosystem for semi-conductor IC design capability on the campus. India today has a lot of needs for the semiconductor. These labs, the infrastructure and software licences are all required to train students so they can create a complete integrated circuit designed at JU,” said Basu.
The president of the foundation, Ranjit Chakravorti, a 1961 chemical engineering graduate, said they stepped in because JU does not have any resources to undertake such an ambitious programme.
“The state government has stopped providing resources other than the salaries of faculty and administrative staff. The Union government stopped providing grants like those under Rusa (Rashtriya Uchhatar Shiksha Abhiyan) and others. A team of the foundation, in cooperation with the ETCE department, sought donations from JU alumni worldwide,” Chakravorti said.
He said the centre of excellence would need Rs 1.6 crore over three years to build the necessary infrastructure.
In June 2023, the head of the electronics and telecommunication engineering department had written to the foundation for “substantial funding” because the department was finding it difficult to maintain and upgrade its laboratories owing to a decline in support from the state and the central governments.
The head, Manotosh Biswas, said they needed to upgrade their computers and other facilities because the world of communications had undergone a sea change.
“The inauguration of the labs provides an excellent opportunity to arm the students with the skill sets needed for the upcoming semiconductor manufacturing revolution in India. But this requires funds which the foundation is providing,” said Sayan Chatterjee, a professor of the department who heads the centre.
“Gone are the days when a student would equip themselves with the skill sets while working in the industry. Now they need to acquire the skills while studying. Only then will the industry hire,” Chatterjee said.
He said that while the placement scenario has been “quite satisfactory” at JU, some industries have been staying away over the years.
“Once the word goes out that JU students are working in critical areas in these labs, those industries will resume hiring,” said Chatterjee.
In October last year, Ravi Prasad, a former student of chemical engineering, gifted JU a chemical reactor worth Rs 35 lakh.