NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The golden jubilee year July 2016-June 2017 – of the Goa College of Engineering (GCE) will witness a number of year-round programmes, including up-gradation of the GEC infrastructure, academic assistance to students, introduction of a post-graduation programme in information technology stream subject to the approval of the All India Council of Technical Education, and reunions of the past students of the Farmagudi-based premier engineering institution.
The GCE principal Dr Vinayak Shet, addressing a press conference in the city on Tuesday informed that the golden jubilee year of the Goa College of Engineering will be inaugurated by the Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, in the presence of the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Minister for Public Works Department Ramakrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar, and the South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar at Kala Academy on July 9.
The founder chairman of Mastek Ltd, Ashank Desai will deliver a key-note address on ‘Modern Trends in Engineering’, on the occasion.
The president of the GCE Alumni Association, Subrai Nadkarni, speaking on the occasion stated that the Goa College of Engineering has gone from strength to strength, during the past 50 years, while the director of technical education Vivek Kamat, who is also an alumnus of the institution informed that the government has set up a GEC Golden Jubilee fund of Rs 2 crore under the ENGICO Golden Jubilee Scheme.
“This corpus fund would be utilised towards research and development for students and faculty, besides supporting student projects, technical seminars and workshops, and up-gradation of student related facilities and amenities including their placement,” Kamat stated, mentioning that the golden jubilee committee set up to organise the year-long event also plans to raise money so as to donate few monumental structures to the college in commemoration of its golden jubilee year, namely clock tower in front of the main building, open auditorium at the Happenings Ground, and renovation of the library reading hall.
Stating that the year 2016-17 would be a game changing year for the Goa College of Engineering, the noted entrepreneur and yet another college alumnus, Rajkumar Kamat said that a trade fair would be organised at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in January 2017, showcasing products and services of the alumni of the GCE, besides the projects completed by the college students. “We are also planning to start an incubation centre at the GCE from September 2016, where the mentors would be training the students, who desire to become entrepreneurs,” he added, pointing out that the alumni of the college will also help the students, in terms of internship in the industry.
Sunil Salkar, the alumnus of the GCE said that seminars on different engineering subjects and get together programmes of the past students would be arranged during the golden jubilee year. Ravi Sukhtankar, an alumnus of the GCE was also present at the briefing.