Written in February.

Dr Dalip Kumar, the Associate Dean of the International Programmes and Collaboration Division (IPCD) took some time out of his busy schedule to talk about the unit and the role it plays in providing exposure to students.

IPCD aims to provide students with international exposure to internships and research opportunities. It also aims to establish connections with foreign universities in order to collaborate with them on the research front. Dr Kumar summed it up by saying that it was basically in charge of all research-related foreign exchange activities on campus.

The student wing of IPCD acts as a bridge between the average BITSian and professors. Their primary objective is to understand what students expect out of internships and increase exposure to a host of research opportunities outside the campus. As the IPCD is primarily involved in providing students with internship opportunities abroad, it facilitates the signing of MOUs (Memoranda Of Understanding) with various foreign universities. Over the past couple of years, the number of students choosing to do a thesis instead of an industry internship has increased. IPCD helps widen the students’ exposure and give them opportunities to do research abroad during their summer break and also aids in the funding of these internships, with scholarships in the range of INR 15,000 to 30,000 being awarded every year. He added that the budget assigned for this purpose is on an upward curve. The ultimate aim of IPCD is to improve the quality of research in BITS and put it on the map. 

Dr Kumar felt that the growing trend towards research was because of the exposure students were receiving. He added that even though students wanted to do research, they chose to work in the industry because of the financial stability it provided. A thesis was viewed as a wild card. However, this increased exposure has allowed students to realise that doing a thesis gives them the opportunity to undertake ground-breaking research and also procure a job later. 

Dr Kumar voiced his support for the joint-degree system. This system allows a student to pursue two degrees simultaneously in two different universities. Dr Kumar believed that this reduced the duration of study for a student and drastically improved employability. In addition to this, universities also benefited as their expenditure on students reduced drastically, since they only sponsor one semester. Further, the incoming students already have some prior experience and are able to make immediate contributions to any ongoing research. A joint understanding between universities is thus, a ‘win-win situation’ for everyone.

Dr Kumar advised aspiring students to start planning from their first year itself. A good CGPA is imperative as it is the first filter colleges use while selecting students. Further, it is essential that students build a rapport with their professors who can guide them through the entire process. Dr Kumar advised students to identify a project they find interesting and contact the concerned professor for guidance. This would help them establish a relationship with the professor and provide an opportunity to get some work experience under their belt in the form of guided projects. The professor can also help a student secure research opportunities within the college or elsewhere by vouching for them. The professor is also benefited by having a willing contributor who shares the same goals as they do. For students in their second year, Dr Kumar advised them to take courses that could provide them with the experience they would need for internships. 

Regarding students seeking to dip their toe in the water, Dr Kumar advised them to begin attending research conferences within the country. These conferences have speakers of international repute and thus will provide the student with networking opportunities. He stressed that India is an excellent starting point for research and that students needed to fully explore the country’s options before deciding to go abroad. 

Dr Kumar also highlighted the need for competition on both the student and professor fronts. Students need to make themselves stand out in order to get research opportunities. The same applies to professors as they too must make their research seem cutting-edge and interesting in order to attract students and disincline them from continuously looking for openings overseas. A university has to have both incoming and outgoing interns in order to improve the quality of the research they undertake.

IPCD also organises talks wherein professors from foreign universities deliver lectures on the fields they are conducting research in. Elaborating on this, Dr Kumar said that professors from colleges which have MOUs signed with BITS were mainly called. It also gave these professors an opportunity to check the campus, students, and facilities at BITS.

Dr Kumar thinks that the research culture in BITS has been trending positively over the past 7-8 years. He felt that while good research was being undertaken in the basic sciences, there was an overall scope for improvement, especially in the engineering disciplines. Dr Kumar advised students to have a clear plan for themselves in their head and work towards achieving the same. He concluded by stressing the importance of interacting with professors and getting an early start. He added that IPCD plans to hold sessions for first-year students to give them an idea on the upcoming internships and research projects they can undertake in the future.