An annual Centrale Connect conclave was organised by Mahindra Ecole Centrale (MEC) College of Engineering, Hyderabad on Wednesday at its campus. This year’s theme for the conclave was ‘Perspective and Perception’. Perspective is an understanding of a person about an idea, an activity, or a concept which differs from person to person. Collaboration of different perspectives can create an effective solution for a problem. The Centrale Connect Conclave 2019 acted as an interphase from both industry and academia on a single platform to develop multi-faceted perspectives among students in order to encourage innovative solutions for real-life problems.

Speaking about the importance of developing different perspectives Dr. Yajulu Medury, Director, Mahindra Ecole Centrale said, “Through Centrale Conclave, we aim to engage with this alternative or different way of looking at and responding to things. Mahindra Ecole Centrale is happy to host a very high profile guest list which will deliberate on key perspectives like perception towards inclusion and towards living life in general. We expect to encourage our guests and audience to explore these aspects of the ‘real’ world and understand their impact on individuals and organisations.”  

The first panel discussion spoke about societal, political, and economic inclusion. Dr. Kannan Srinathan, Associate Professor at IIIT, Hyderabad, focussed on usage of theme in the world of education. Dr. Nikhil Agarwal, senior advisor to FICCI BISNET, suggested that education and infrastructure are equally important for each other. Dr. SriniKaveri, the Director of the CNRS office in India said in true inclusiveness no section of society should be left behind in the wake of progress. Dr. Venkat Changavalli, Advisor to the Governments of Telangana and Haryana, emphasised on the significance of good leaders in encouraging inclusive initiatives across the nation. He also spoke about the role of youth in encouraging such ventures.  

The second panel discussion focussed on the fundamentals of Indian society and points to reconsider these. The speakers spoke about factors responsible for success in Indian context and canvas of engineering education in India. Dr. Vidyanand Jha, Professor at IIM Calcutta began the discussion by saying that success is subjective for every person and urged to promote engineering as a mainstream profession instead of treating it as a stepping stone for other professions.