Emerging technologies like Generative AI considerably transform the educational landscape. This trend is gaining momentum not only among private institutions and educators, but also in government circles. The Economic Times Annual Education Summit recently hosted a panel discussion titled “AI Disruption: How AI and Data analysis Will Drive Next-Gen Institutions,” featuring prominent thought leaders sharing their experiences and insights. The session included Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIM Ahmedabad; Professor Kamal Kishore Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee; Dr Rajul K Gajjar, Vice-Chancellor, Gujarat Technological University (GTU); Samit Singhai, co-founder, TruScholar; Arun Prakash M, Founder & CEO, GUVI Geek Network Private Limited; Adv Suyash Vijay Pradhan, Deputy Principal, Satish Pradhan Dnyanasadhana College, Thane. The panel was moderated by Yasmin Taj, Editor at ET International (HR & CIO), The Economic Times. The panel began with a crucial question: how are AI and data analytics used today to streamline operations within Higher Education Speakers shared examples from their respective institutions of how these technologies have improved efficiency and reduced costs, among other things.
Revolutionizing higher education with AI and data analytics
Artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics are increasingly shaping the future of higher education. Institutions are leveraging these technologies to improve educational experiences, streamline operations and improve student and faculty outcomes. “AI has become a buzzword today, but data analytics has been around for a while,” said Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIM Ahmedabad, in his keynote address. He further highlighted that AI leverages data analysis by enhancing its capabilities. Expressing his thoughts on how AI is changing campus placement analytics, he commented, “At IIM Ahmedabad, we use AI to analyze student learning effectiveness and personalize experiences educational. This helps us guide students through their MBA programs and connect them with suitable companies for internships. By analyzing past data, we can predict which sectors are most suitable for each student, improving career progression and success rates. »
Professor Kamal Kishore Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, said in this regard that artificial intelligence, data analytics and machine learning have become an integral part of all branches of science and engineering. . Educational institutions use these technologies to monitor student records, career profiles, and collaboration opportunities.
“AI helps design drones and robots, manage faculty data, and train international research teams. We have integrated AI into our curriculum from the first year and offer minor programs in these areas, recognizing the global demand for these skills,” Pant said.
Data Management in General – A Unique Perspective
The integration of AI and data analytics is especially crucial for large educational institutions that manage vast volumes of data. Gujarat Technological University (GTU), which oversees 350 affiliated institutions, manages vast amounts of data to improve its operational efficiency. Dr. Rajul K. Gajjar, Vice-Chancellor, Gujarat Technological University (GTU), brought a different perspective to the discussion and said, “With 350 institutions affiliated to GTU, we manage a large amount of data. Data analysis is essential to our operations. We are working on integrating AI to create common dashboards for institutions, faculty and students. »
Dr Gajjar added, “AI can simplify processes like centralized admissions through chatbots and personalize education with on-demand exams and self-paced courses. Our goal is to produce industry-ready graduates.”
Breaking the Daily Routine: Innovative Use of AI and Data Analytics
Educational institutions are increasingly finding creative and effective ways to use AI and data analytics, moving away from traditional methods and exploring new possibilities. Av. Suyash Vijay Pradhan, Deputy Principal, Satish Pradhan Dnyanasadhana College, Thane explained how their institution uniquely uses data analytics. Although data analytics is commonly used in admissions to determine student placement and interests, their approach includes two notable features.
He also explained how his university is using robots to replace absent professors and how the university’s IT department is developing a robot that can replace absent professors, ensuring that academic activities are not affected. Second, the institution emphasizes energy conservation, using data analysis to identify areas for cost reduction and reallocating resources to benefit students.
AI technology AI is integrated with sensors and various energy-saving mechanisms to achieve these goals. Additionally, the college offers certification courses to help students understand the various applications of AI, beyond simple tools like ChatGPT. This is further supported by the implementation of chatbots to help students answer student queries during admissions, thereby improving the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the institution, Pradhan added while explaining how the IA helps students complete a seamless admissions process.
Data-Driven Operations and Use of Build AI in Industry
In the evolving technology and education landscape, data-driven operations and the application of Generative AI (Gen AI) are playing an increasingly crucial role. This shift is reshaping how businesses and academic institutions operate, improving efficiency and creating more personalized experiences. Adding a non-academic perspective to the discussion, Arun Prakash M, Founder and CEO of GUVI Geek Network Private Limited explained how their operations are entirely data-driven, highlighting three main use cases.
“As a vernacular platform, they faced significant costs to translate the courses, around Rs 50 lakh for just three or four courses. To solve this problem, they applied AI, initially encountering issues where the AI would transliterate each word separately, leading to tricky translations in technical subjects like data science. They have refined their AI model to process technology-related terms more accurately,” added Arun.
Samit Singhai, Co-Founder of TruScholar discussed the impact of generative AI technologies and data analytics on universities and companies developing models to improve institutional performance. He identified two main areas where these technologies are having a significant impact: improving administrative tasks and improving operational efficiency, including predictive analytics of student performance.
Singhai emphasized that academia today should focus on improving student performance. At TruScholar, they leverage Gen AI models to provide multi-scale options to students when they receive credentials in their digital wallet. With the new National Education Policy mandating digital credentials, this approach ensures trust and easy verification via blockchain networks.
In summary
In conclusion, the speakers collectively highlighted the transformative potential of AI and data analytics in education. These technologies are expected to revolutionize the way institutions operate, improving both administrative efficiency and student success. As educational institutions continue to integrate AI and data analytics, the focus will be on ensuring ethical use, data reliability, and continued evolution of educational practices for respond to future requests.
