University of Madras, Sutherland Global Services to collaborate for setting up an AI lab

The Syndicate of University of Madras (UoM) on Friday approved a proposal to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sutherland Global Services, a digital-driven business transformation company, to set up an AI laboratory at the Department of Women Studies.

The company has offered to upgrade its older allocation of ₹50 lakh for a Gender Lab that was set up at the Department following an older MoU signed in April 2019. The lab offered an online course on Gender Sensitisation and Workplace Readiness to students across the four campuses of the University. However, the lockdown led to long closure of the lab that destroyed the digital equipment.

The company has now come forward to renew the MoU and upgrade the lab installing new systems and infrastructure. In addition to reviving the Gender Lab, the MoU seeks to establish an Artificial Intelligence Lab for Inclusive Education that would develop e-modules for a course on Application of Artificial Intelligence.

The Syndicate also cleared a few long-pending issues that have been holding up recruitment of faculty members to various Arts and Science self-financing colleges and government-aided colleges (self financing courses). The apex body has approved resumption of special drives at the University to grant approval of qualifications to Assistant Professors for the current academic year. University records indicated that it had received about 400 proposals from various affiliated colleges seeking approval of qualification of the faculty members appointed in those colleges.

The Syndicate also approved the appointment of principals to Agurchand Manmull Jain College, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda College, Shrimathi Devkunvar Nanalal Bhatt Vaishnav College for Women, Sir Theagaraya College, and Madras School of Social Work.