IIT-Kharagpur to launch artificial intelligence certification course
According to a top official, The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur will launch a six-month Artificial Intelligence (AI) course at three centres in the country. The Institute’s Director, Partha Pratim Chakrabarti told reporters that the certified programme is aimed at strengthening India’s talent pool in Machine Learning and AI.
He said thousands of new jobs were being created in AI sector every year with AI growing at 10-15 per cent on annual rate and there was need to have more skilled people in the AI sector. He added “AI is the future which will more invade our lives in the coming days.”Head, Centre for Artificial Intelligence, IIT Kharagpur, Sudeshna Sarkar said, the course with 300 students will consist of 16 modules – each having 12-hour duration.
Chakrabarti said the courses, which will begin from March this year will be offered at IIT Kharagpur’s Kolkata facility, Kharagpur campus and at a rented premise at Bengaluru.
Around 2 lakh jobs in AI are expected to be created by 2020 in India, Sarkar said. She said the classes will be taken by IIT Kharagpur faculty, reputed academic institutions and industry experts. Sarkar explained that there will be 60 per cent from the IIT faculty and academics and 40 per cent from industry who will be teaching the students in the 16 modules. The demand is getting higher in AI in the country than the total number of AI-skilled professionals and there was a need to bridge that gap. The course modules have been carefully designed to cover mathematical and algorithmic foundations, AI fundamentals and statistical and machine learning methods.
She said “The courses will have a blend on fundamental theoretical principles as well as hands-on component and industry use cases and students will have the opportunity to work on live projects. Every course module will be based on assignments and exams and a certificate will be awarded based on successful completion of the modules. It will be rigorous.”
The students will be selected competitively from working professionals and senior students. Tools and platforms will be introduced to make the students, from working professionals and senior students, technologically competent and ready for jobs.
The AI course, application for which commenced on January 2 for screening and shortlisting, will start from March 10, this year.
Source: Indian Express