CEG alumni association to set up incubation centre on campus

On Sunday, more than 1,500 alumni from the pre-independence batch (1940 batch) to the most recent graduates, attended the day-long panel discussions and knowledge sharing sessions on topics such as Entrepreneurship, Incubation and Start-up at CEG, Women in Engineering and Role of Engineers in Public Policy Making, among others. D. Vasudevan, President of AACEG said, “CEGAM was conceived as an event to reconnect and strengthen the ties between alumni, students and the institution.”

Delivering keynote address Padma Bhushan Dr. Raj Reddy, Computer Scientist & Turing Award Winner said that he has been in the field of computing for over six decades. “Artificial Intelligence started in the mid-1950s and I wonder why robotics has not taken over the world, as everyone has been predicting. For the past 20 years, I asked myself if there are ways to use this technology to help those at the bottom of the pyramid, the digitally illiterate. Voice and regional language technology with AI is at a level now that with relevant data, we can empower the society,” he stated.

Reminiscing about those golden days, Kamala Devi Subrahmanyan, Superintending Engineer (Retd.), All India Radio and alumni of CEG encouraged the women students. “Enthusiasm and courage is what every woman, irrespective of generation, needs to have to achieve their ambitions,” she added. Dr. V. Balamurugan, Director, Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE)and Prof. M. K. Surappa, VC, Anna University were also present.

CEGAM also focussed on roping in the expertise and knowledge of its alumni to inspire the students to take the entrepreneurial route. In fact, the alumni association is planning to set up a new incubation centre at the campus.