Hyderabad, 27th July: KLH Hyderabad Campus of KL Deemed to be University, known as one of India’s leading universities, takes a significant stride in its commitment to community service and innovative education through its ‘Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS)’ program. The EPICS program, in collaboration with Purdue University, a prestigious institution from the United States, was officially inaugurated last year, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two reputed education hubs.
Dr. William C. Oaks, Director of the EPICS Program and Professor of Engineering Education at Purdue University, recently visited the campus to engage in further productive discussions. The visit was presided over by Dr. A. Ramakrishna, Principal of KL University, Dr. M. Kishore Babu, Director of International Relations and Dr. M. Saidireddy, EPICS Coordinator, and attended by all esteemed faculty members. The meeting centered around enhancing the partnership between the two institutions, exploring avenues for joint research projects, student exchanges, and faculty collaborations in diverse fields of engineering.
On the occasion, Er. Koneru Satyanarayana, Chancellor of KL Deemed to be University, said, “We believe in fostering a culture of innovation and social responsibility among our students to bring a positive change in the society. This community service program helps students develop a deep connection with the local community of nearby villages and address the pressing challenges faced by the community through innovative engineering solutions. A few of the students have taken strides and created solutions; they are currently working on the prototypes stage to address problems for the community.”
EPICS, a patented initiative of Purdue University, is an exceptional program that brings together teams of undergraduate students to design, build, and deploy real systems, aiming to provide engineering-based solutions for local community service and educational organizations.
As part of the EPICS program, KLH Hyderabad introduced the credit course titled “Social Immersive Learning” for all second-year engineering students, enabling them to actively participate in the community service initiative. In the previous academic year, students engaged with nearby villages, conducted surveys, and identified 32 distinct problem statements prevalent in society. Through their relentless efforts, they successfully engineered solution prototypes for a few challenges, demonstrating their commitment to making a tangible impact on the community.
Building upon the success of the EPICS program, KLH Hyderabad is now offering the same course in Phase-II for all second-year students this year. Dr. William Oaks’ visit served as an affirmation of the program’s effectiveness and its potential to create socially responsible engineers equipped with the skills to tackle real-world issues.
As part of the EPICS program, the University organized a comprehensive One Week Orientation Workshop from 18th July 2023 to 25th July 2023. The workshop aimed to equip new students with a thorough understanding of EPICS, encompassing field surveys, problem identification, and the development of working prototypes for the identified challenges. This year, over 340 students enthusiastically participated in the workshop, reflecting the growing enthusiasm for community service and engineering-based solutions among the student community.
As the EPICS projects near their completion, the students will hand over their prototypes to the concerned communities, societies, or government authorities, thereby providing valuable solutions to address pressing challenges. The ‘Social Internship’ aspect of the program will reward each student with two credits upon the successful completion of their projects. Notably, all expenses incurred in creating the prototypes will be borne by the University, reaffirming its commitment to supporting community service initiatives.
