Partnering with Tech Mahindra's research arm Makers Lab
Partnering with a leading Indian company such as Tech Mahindra is the key to giving our students a better understanding of our region and experience working in an international company.
Introduced as part of a revamp to the undergraduate curriculum at the University of Sydney, ICPUs are units of study based around authentic problems set out by industry, community and government organisations. Interdisciplinary groups of students experience and contribute to projects across a broad range of areas including community development, law, technology, farming, sustainability, banking and health.
“These projects bring students from a range of disciplinary backgrounds together to research, analyse and present solutions to real-world problems. We are equipping our students with the skills they need for the jobs of the future,” University of Sydney’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal Dr Michael Spence said.
“We are firmly in the Asian century with Australia’s future closely interlinked with Asia. Partnering with a leading Indian company such as Tech Mahindra is the key to giving our students a better understanding of our region and experience working in an international company.”
The four-week long units will see student groups work with an academic supervisor and industry experts on problems around AI and machine learning, virtual reality and augmented reality, and the internet of things in Tech Mahindra’s Makers lab.
“Through this collaboration with academia, industry and business we hope to build a workforce of the future. We envision to create a talent pool that is more in tune with the practical insights around disruptive technologies, can benefit the Australian market, and enable Tech Mahindra to spot young talent,” Head of Tech Mahindra’s Makers Lab Nikhil Malhotra said.
Tech Mahindra is the first ICPU industry partnership in India. Signed by Dr Michael Spence and B.K Mishra, Tech Mahindra’s Senior Vice-President and Global Delivery Head, the agreement is a continuation of the MOU signed with Tech Mahindra in March 2018 to collaborate in two key areas:
- Joint research projects in areas like artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain technology, data analytics and security and virtual reality
- Partnership for experiential learning.
Previous ICPU projects included developing a new business model for AirBnB, investigating artificial intelligence with Westpac, examining the future of Sydney precincts with PwC and understanding the impact of autonomous vehicles with Accenture. The initiative has been enthusiastically received by both industry and students, and to date 1000 students have been involved in 35 projects.