Professor Vilas M. Salokhe, Director of Unified Programs at
AIT, recently visited the Allahabad Agricultural Institute Deemed
University and the Shivaji University, Kolhapur in
India.
During his visit to the Allahabad Agricultural
Institute Deemed University, Professor Salokhe conducted a series
of six seminars to explain the concept of the unified program to the
first and third semester students. A total of 630 students over a day,
attended the seminar. The university had well advertised the seminar
with special posters throughout the campus, and there was an
overwhelming response.
Though the program is planning to recruit students from the
first semester, several third semester students are also keen on
enrolling as well. A total of 269 students from the first semester and
208 from the third semester have indicated their interest and chosen to
join this unified program. The major areas of interest shown are in
agribusiness management, agricultural systems and engineering, food
engineering and bioprocess engineering, telecommunications, water
resources engineering, industrial engineering and management, and
environmental engineering. There is strong support from the
senior management of AAI-DU for this concept, and they are keen on
signing a MoA to start this program at the earliest. Professor Salokhe
and the Vice Chancellor of AAI-DU were interviewed by the local
television, and the news of this partnership broadcasted with clippings
from the AIT promotional video.
During his visit to Shivaji University, Kolhapur,
Professor Salokhe met with the Vice Chancellor of Shivaji University
and discussed the implementation of the unified program as well as some
issues related to MoA with the Vice Chancellor and the International
School of Engineering (ISET) staff. Professor Salokhe met with
the first batch of 240 students who have joined this program. A
total of 104 students have expressed their interest in joining the
unified program. The major areas of interest are in computer science,
telecommunications, chemical / environmental engineering and food
engineering. It was agreed to sign a MoA at the earliest, and likely
that Vice-Chancellor of Shivaji University will also join graduation at
AIT.