Smart Education Is A Prerequisite For Smart Cities - Dr. Uday Salunkhe
As per Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plan to establish 100 Smart Cities in India, Dr. Uday Salunkhe Welingkar Institute, believes that for such cities to function properly they would require smart education to educate its citizens. The 22 states where the program will be implemented are set to send detailed project reports so a final blueprint can be outlined.
What makes a city smart?
Smart cities have differing definitions but in essence smart cities can be said to be thoughtfully designed new urban centres that makes heavy use of technology to establish physical, social, economic infrastructure all sustainably centered around the inhabitants. There are other metrics that would make a city smart and which include governance, mobility, healthcare, recreational facilities and energy supply.
The infrastructure of a smart city should be equipped with systems aimed at better management of energy resources, water, transport and traffic, safety and security. Information and communication technology (ICT) forms the backbone of such cities.
However, for such smart cities to function there is a need for smart citizens educated with smart education. A Smart City prerequisite is a Smarter Citizen!
What is Smart Education?
Smart education prepares students for life as contributors, achievers and over all persons who are laced with skills and talent plus the discretion to how to use it to the advantage of the all stakeholders including – themselves, society taken in a wide sense and the planet. Thus smart education needs to meet the following parameters:
Emphasis on STEM areas - Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths
For education to be smart it needs to be relevant to today’s industry and career needs. It should cater to the constraints and challenges of the times in the industry.
There should be a focus on the intangibles of EQ Emotional Quotient, personality, structure, thought process, discretion, and similar finer yet
crucial aspects of grooming which make individuals effective contributors
 There is a need to not just provide the individual with knowledge and skills but also imbibe in them a team spirit so as to adjust and work better in a corporate environment. There has to be a people connect in these times of networking.
 An awakening of social responsibility and conscious encouragement of the spirit of nation building are equally important.
Smart education enables the holistic development of an individual molding them into effective, productive and well-adjusted units of the society at every conceivable level - locally, nationally and globally. Thus, in one line smart education makes a person productive, effective and in sync with times.
Dr. Uday Salunkhe, Group Director, Welingkar Institute of Management
Dr Uday Salunkhe Websites: http://www.udaysalunkhe.com http://www.udaysalunkhe.net http://www.udaysalunkhe.in http://www.udaysalunkhe.co.in http://www.udaysalunkhewelingkar.com http://www.udaysalunkhewelingkar.net http://www.udaysalunkhewelingkar.in http://www.udaysalunkhewelingkar.co.in