Story Category: Technology
A Whole New World saiuniversity.edu.in
I used to read a lot of books when I was younger and loved reading and listening to stories. As a child, I would sit with my grandmother and listen to her narrate stories for hours. After my grandmother passed away, stories held a special place in my heart. When an Indian Short Stories course was offered in the first year as an elective, I jumped at the chance to rediscover my passion for stories.
When I signed up for the course, I expected that we would read different kinds of stories and discuss them. What I did not expect, however, was for it to change my entire perspective about stories. This course has allowed me to see the social aspects that authors address through their stories. One example of this would be partition literature, in which authors addressed the challenges faced by different kinds of people during the time of the India-Pakistan partition. It made me understand that stories are like vessels that carry experiences. One story that I found particularly interesting was, ‘The Sound of Falling Leaves’ by Qurratulain Hyder. The story, which was about how a young Muslim woman dealt with the hardships she faced during the time of partition.
Throughout the semester, as we read many stories of different genres, I understood how to read closely and look for the details in the stories – the details that help us understand the characters better or explore what the author strives to say through the story. Earlier when I read a story, it was just a storyline and characters. I would almost never think about the author or what exactly the author might be trying to express. After taking up this course, however, I learnt that there are finite details in a story that bring out the essence of the author as well as the message that is being conveyed by the author.
The World and Its Many Challenges saiuniversity.edu.in
The Global Challenges course sheds light on the problems ailing our planet and the consequences they have on people in different regions and on the human race as a whole. It made me think about a range of issues such as liberty, human rights, women’s rights, nuclear energy, cyber technology and taxation. Seldom are these issues discussed beyond their applicability or relevance in the context of development. However, such issues require in depth study to ensure that they are employed to indeed create a just world. The talks by the subject experts in Global Challenges were the spark that kindled my thoughts and broadened my perspective. The course has been that important first step — the introduction to contentious issues – that has laid the foundation for the development of my own thoughts and opinions on several important issues, which is what will define me in the years to come.
A particular talk that stands out in memory was by Mr. Mitch Orenstein, the S. Richard Hirsch Associate Professor of European Studies at Johns Hopkins University, on the Ukraine – Russia relations. It was just a few days after this talk that Russia waged war on Ukraine. Naturally, we followed the war closely through the duration of the course. Over the semester we argued over the ideals of Putin and the responses of the West prior to and after the start of the war. Towards the end of the semester, we had a heated debate over India’s position in the war and were exposed to passionate arguments relating to the hypocrisy of the West, to the irrationality of Putin and his actions and to the future trajectory of territorial disputes. I can say with confidence that I have a far deeper understanding now of the war than I would have had, had I only followed it in the news.
Another lecture that I now recall was by Mr. Juan Enriques, the author of Right/Wrong: How Technology Changes Ethics, on the effects of technology on the societal ethics. While we did cover the doubts and hopes related to technological advancements, we also pondered over the possibility of artificial intelligence launching a war against humanity. The discussions extended as far as to consider the possibilities of creating and incubating foetuses in the lab, thus relieving women of the pains of bearing and being delivered of babies.
Global Challenges is no ordinary introduction to the issues of the world. It is a look at the issues through different prisms. Both in the choice of issues and in their analysis, it transgresses disciplinary boundaries. It is foundational in that it gets us not merely to think about the several issues that plague us, but also to look at them from uncommon perspectives, thus training us to take critical look at the world around us.
Sai University I Blog I Why debating is a key life skill saiuniversity.edu.in
Communication has always been one of the crucial life skills that aids people in all aspects of their lives, be it personal or professional. Communication plays a key role in sustaining collaborations and building a strong profile for the professional world. Building good communication skills should be a cornerstone for every education system as it not only prepares students for the future, but it also enables them to be confident and gain an edge in the world of work.
Some of the fun and fruitful ways of developing communication skills are honing one’s debating, presentation, public speaking skills etc., that act as effective tools for youngsters to become future leaders. Apart from it being just fun, debating (which encompasses many aspects of public speaking) offers a lot of value for a youngster’s growth.
At Sai University (SaiU), active learning is a critical component of our multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary education system that allows students to gradually develop their communication skills, critical thinking capabilities, research skills, among others. SaiU positions itself as a proud bearer of unique teaching methodologies that aim to instill the above-mentioned life skills and much more to students.
Keeping SaiU’s unique education model as the foundation, War of Words, our very first international interschool debate competition, was created. The preliminary round of the event saw robust participation of 38 students from 13 schools in India and 3 schools in UAE. Students debated it out on all aspects of the theme and covered a variety of topics like climate change, public water utilities, indiscriminate tourism among others.
As we relish the victory of War of Words, here are a few reasons as to why debating helps students in the long run:
Boosts critical thinking skills
Debates urge students to evaluate a subject matter and look at it from different perspectives. It also lets them evaluate a viewpoint that appeals more to them and develop a rationale to back it up. As a result, instead of passive intake of information, they engage with a topic and think about it in a constructive manner.
Fosters strong communication skills
Debates enhance the oral communication skills of students. Their language, vocabulary, delivery, and diction will improve, and they will also learn to put forth points in a succinct fashion. Debates encourage students to listen and articulate their thoughts effectively.
Demystifying the idea of team teaching saiuniversity.edu.in
With innovative and interesting teaching models emerging day by day, team teaching is now being pursued to make the classroom space dynamic and all encompassing. In a liberal education setup, when students are encouraged to take up courses across disciplines and indulge in Active Learning, team teaching is one such means to the end. So, what is Team Teaching and what does this mode of education entail? Let us dive right in!
Team Teaching, an idea that perfectly complements the nature of a collaborative classroom, ideally means more than one teacher or professor collaborating towards one course for the same group of students. In team teaching, a group of teachers, work and plan class activities and evaluate students on an integrated level. Team teaching brings to students the ideas and potentials of many thought leaders towards courses that require a holistic perspective.
Here are some of the reasons for why team teaching will benefit students:
Enhance student learning: In a team-teaching system, the expectations of one professor may be different from another. However, the sheer variations in this system will enable a student to learn subjects from different angles. Students benefit by enjoying better retention of ideas, diversity, better interpersonal skills etc. Their learning outcomes will be vastly influenced by a convergence of strong teaching voices towards their subject. The combination of team teaching and active learning working in synergy is bound to benefit students for life.
A multidisciplinary focus on the curriculum: With global challenges increasing by the day, a course material that is specifically engineered towards the future also needs expert handling. A liberal education system will focus on providing courses that tackle the Big Problems of today and tomorrow. As a result, through team teaching, thought leaders who are experts from their fields, take part in shaping the dissemination of that curriculum. Each of these aspects of the course material gains focus on this system. Due to the multitude of teachers, no part of the curriculum is left without attention.
Tips to help you master the art of time management saiuniversity.edu.in
Be it Bill Gates or you, everyone has 24 hours a day. It’s no secret that Bill Gates has an insane work schedule. So how does he manage the responsibilities and stay at the top of the game? He schedules his days meticulously and uses every minute productively. If Bill Gates can do it, so can you. The truth is that you have all the time you need to get things done, and all you have to do is take your time seriously and step up your time management game with the following tips.
Time audit
Once you learn where your time goes, it is easy to optimize your time for productivity, focus, and balance. You can accomplish more and enjoy more free time by using time wisely. A time audit is a systematic process to review how you spend time every day. Time audit helps manage time effectively and make informed decisions toward achieving every goal.
To-do list and prioritization
The best way to begin time management is to create a list of tasks on a Word document, alongside the deadlines. Once the list is ready, the next step is to organize and group similar ones before prioritization. Is there a task you can do first and then strike that off with a few others? Doing that first is undoubtedly good time management and prioritization.
Five tips to make the transition to university easier saiuniversity.edu.in
Young and ambitious students leave high school and walk into the portals of universities with myriad hopes, goals, and aspirations. As with any life change, this phase can be challenging and at the same time exciting at every step of the way. While some students adapt quickly, others are overwhelmed by the changes and challenges. Here are a few tips to make university life enjoyable and memorable.
Asking for help is a sign of strength.
While it is necessary to learn how to be self-dependent, there is no shame in asking for help and seeking guidance, advice, and coaching to navigate unknown terrains easily. It will also save time by helping to avoid possible mistakes that others have made before. Parents, professors, friends, or an expert on campus are there to help and provide support. Preparation helps survive life-altering changes, and proper guidance can go a long way in making transitions easier.
Deriving strength from failures.
Everyone goes through their share of failures, but how to face them without getting discouraged is what matters. Every failure is an opportunity to learn lessons and move on to a position of strength. Instead of brooding over failures, it is essential to learn to be kind to oneself, avoid taking failures personally and keep the confidence level up. Embracing the idea of productive failure would mean drawing the lesson out of it and remembering it to avoid it in future
Taste the fare before finalizing the major and minor.
SaiU prides itself in exposing students to a range of subjects – Arts and Sciences, Technology, and Law – and gives them the flexibility to design their degrees. Hence, an open-minded approach will help in making the right choices.
At the core of liberal education are choice and freedom. SaiUians have chosen this institution to avoid the trodden path of a predetermined course of study. The recommended way forward is to make the most of the first year, attend all the classes, and engage extensively with the content and faculty. It will help make considered decisions in the years that follow.
Being a student in the life of covid-19 saiuniversity.edu.in
The word ‘classroom’ draws different images for each of us. For those of us who have spent our childhoods going to school and college in a physical space, the words are usually ‘black board’, ‘ringing of the bell’, ‘canteens’ and so on. But for an increasing group of people, especially the youngsters of today, the word now draws up images of laptops, online tests, online PT classes and much more.
The pandemic has brought over a sea change in all aspects of our lives. With daily lives and routines getting bungled during the lockdown, the internet has come to the rescue of many. And Education is no different. Students of today are now more receptive and in acceptance of how technology has opened their classrooms. Granted, the virtual world is not always rosy, but the online classroom scenario has made it possible for students to get access to education from all corners of the world, and to understand the range of their curriculum in a truly holistic manner.
Lockdown fatigue is real. Staring at a computer with no other human interaction can be exhausting and even boring. Social interactions are minimal and physical movement is almost next to nothing. But tiding over the gloomy times, there are many ways in which online classes can be treated as something that are helpful, unique, and eye-opening. While online learning is not exactly a new concept, the lockdown has spun a new meaning to it – that of the importance of access to distinguished minds beyond boundaries.
Here are top three takeaways from online learning in today’s world!
1. Broaden your horizons: Imagine being taught by a professor from Harvard while sitting in India. In an otherwise regular world, this scenario would have been a difficult proposition. However, the pandemic has forced the education sector to re-evaluate their modes of delivery. With geographical boundaries no longer an essential barrier, colleges can now look at providing students with a truly international experience. One class can be team-taught from a professor in Chennai along with a professor in San Francisco, thanks to technology.
Sai University | 5 Reasons why we need Liberal Education saiuniversity.edu.in
Liberal arts education is a learning approach that teaches students how to think independently and develop broad academic and intellectual abilities. It rests on a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach. Through liberal arts education, students get choices across streams, discover their true calling, and broaden their horizons. It provides a platform to learn how to connect and integrate knowledge and apply the learnings in real-world scenarios.
While the traditional education model in India has stressed memorizing and reproducing information, liberal arts encourage creativity, critical thinking, good communication, and a love for learning.
India’s National Education Policy (NEP), which had a revamp in 2020, has laid out a path for universities to adopt a liberal arts, discussion-based, and discovery-based mode of education. As a result, the NEP 2020 encourages a multidisciplinary education system that helps develop the creative and analytical sides of the brain simultaneously.
Here are the top five reasons why India needs a liberal arts learning model:
1. Interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach to learning
One of the main pillars of liberal arts education is the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach that integrates different areas of study and exposes students to multiple disciplines. In the liberal arts model, a Data Science student can study a course in Music, while a Law student can take up a course in Humanities. This approach at an undergraduate level enhances the ability of students to understand issues from different perspectives and thus get a holistic and expansive intellectual grounding.
2. Proficiency in active learning
Liberal arts education comprises hybrid methods for teaching and learning, with creativity as the cornerstone. Team teaching with case studies and interactive classroom sessions is an integral part of liberal arts education. Active learning methods that allow one to take a lead in the classroom learning experience are employed, where students discuss, and evolve creative ways of dissecting the concepts, theories and methods.
SaiU I Blog I National Unity Day I Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel saiuniversity.edu.in
Sai University is remembering Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 147th birth anniversary, who is commonly now as the “Iron Man of India”. Mr. Patel was a senior senior leader of the Indian National Congress and a prominent figure in the Indian freedom struggle.
Mr. Patel was
the first Deputy Prime Minister and the Home Minister of Independent India,
playing a key role in the integration of about 565 princely states into the Indian Union,
awarded the Bharat Ratna, the Highest Civilian Award in India from the Republic of India, albeit 41 years after his death in 1950.
Interesting? To celebrate the life and contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, here is a glimpse of the PDF exhibition titled “Sardar Patel – The Architect of Unification” by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).
Happy Reading:)
ERP System Integration autuscybertech.com
ERP system integration refers to the process of connecting an ERP system with other software applications or systems within a business. The goal of ERP system integration is to streamline business processes and improve data visibility across different systems. Common ERP system integrations include connecting with customer relationship management (CRM) systems, supply chain management systems, and financial management systems. ERP system integration can reduce manual data entry and improve data accuracy, but it can also be a complex process that requires careful planning and execution.