Real-world challenges have to be embedded into the curriculum to prepare future engineers to create smart cities, said V. Abhaikumar, principal, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, on Tuesday. Mr. Abhaikumar was addressing architects and students at the inaugural session of AsiaConstruct- 2019, a two-day conference to discuss the opportunities and challenges in creating smart cities.
Mr. Abhaikumar said there were plenty of opportunities for professionals to create innovative solutions under the Smart Cities Mission. The mindset and teaching methods of educational institutions must change to include real-life challenges into the curriculum so that more innovations can be created while building smart cities, he said.
Michael Anson, professor, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said that smart cities must be built in collaboration with the public. “The government must not lay down a rigid plan in the creation of smart cities and must create it based on ideas from the public,” he said.
Smart cities are characterised by peace, harmony and inclusive public spaces, said P.R. Swarup, Director General of Construction Industry Development Council (CIDC), the nodal agency for the AsiaConstruct conference. He also said that the council is focussing on the skilling of young engineers and added that a major skill development programme will soon take place either in Madurai or Tiruchi.
M.U. Aswath, National President, Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (ACCE), said that civil engineers were not adopting the latest technologies in their work. He stressed the need for an enhancement of skills of civil engineers to make use of the evolving opportunities.
