-Reshma Ravishanker
Karnataka will soon form a committee constituting experts and entrepreneurs who will chalk a roadmap for the Knowledge and Innovation (KWIN) City project, state’s Higher Education Minister Dr M C Sudhakar announced Thursday.
The decision was made following a high-level meeting at the Global Investors’ Conference, where delegates from over 30 universities of repute convened under Sudhakar’s chairmanship.
The KWIN City project is envisioned to generate an investment of approximately Rs 40,000 crore for a premier education hub designed to accommodate 500,000 residents. Spanning 5,800 acres, it is at a 45 minutes’ drive distance from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport and five-km from the Bengaluru-Pune Greenfield Expressway.
Stating that there is a need for well-rounded education, Dr Sudhakar said, “The nature of learning and education cannot be changed based on the demands of one sector. Such a move would limit the scope of education and create new challenges. We need to reshape holistic learning to meet the demands of the contemporary world,” he said.
He added that 70 per cent of students in Karnataka’s universities hail from outside the state, making it imperative to enhance facilities and resources. He announced that well-equipped nurturing centres and testing facilities would be set up in KWIN City to support deep-tech startups and research and development (R&D) centres of large corporations.
Meanwhile, Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil said that agreements have already been signed with nine universities, including St John’s University and the University of Liverpool, to be part of KWIN City. Prestigious institutions such as the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) in Pilani and the World Horti Centre, known for its expertise in horticulture, have also expressed interest.
Inputs from Indian Express
Posted in News, States
