Thiruvananthapuram: The 'C-of-EnnovaTion' project floated by the 1993 batch at the College of Engineering Trivandrum (CET) for junior students has finally taken off. They will extend project and financial help to students who seek to build new enterprises.
It will be implemented through the innovation centre at the college. Though alumni back-up is nothing new, the 1993 batch seeks to create an official structure for the funding of student projects by such groups.
ICFOSS director Jayashankar Prasad inaugurated the project. Reckitt Benckiser chief information officer Sreeji Gopinathan and Meera Sidharthan spoke at the event.
Full support to juniors
The 1993 batch, known as the golden batch, is offering full support to juniors at CET. The batch, which had been actively backing their college all through, is continuing the practice in the 25th year also.
Many of them work in top positions in prominent companies located abroad, including the Silicon Valley. The project was considered when it was realised that their experience would be of benefit to juniors.
What it is
The support of former students is quite big in academic centres like Stanford and MIT in the US. Several superb projects have been born in innovation centres there.
Some 500 students had passed out from CET in 1993. Nearly 350 of them keep close ties through the social media. Out of this, nearly 50 are actively associated with this project.
How it proceeds
Ideas were invited from students at the first stage. Financial assistance and mentoring will be provided to projects selected from among them.
A database of experts in various fields will be drawn up and students will be supported to get in touch with them. A new web portal will provide the students the opportunity for debates with the alumni.
Alumni Sreeji Gopinathan of Reckitt Benckiser said assistance will be provided for partnership with foreign universities and government agencies.
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