A First: Kerala establishes India’s first Digital University

Kerala has inaugurated the country’s first Digital University in Technocity at Mangalapuram. The institue is part of the state’s resolve to embrace new technologies and desire to use them for bringing positive changes in the life of people and become a global hub for higher learning and technology.

The Digital University has been set up by upgrading the two-decade-old Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management Kerala (IIITM-K), a centre of excellence in information technologies established by the Government of Kerala. It is formed with a vision of creating a futuristic institution of higher learning, aspiring to get a global benchmark in digital technologies and their management.

The institute would focus on post-graduate programmes and research besides building strong industry-academic and academic-academic linkages with leading institutions in India and abroad. The university will initially start with five schools of knowledge – School of Computer Science and Engineering; School of Digital Sciences; School of Electronic Systems and Automation; School of Infomatics; and School of Digital Humanities and Liberal Arts – covering science, technology and humanities aspects of the digital world.

Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who is also the Chancellor of the Kerala University of Digital Sciences, Innovation and Technology, commended the state for achieving a first for the country and for the recent initiatives in higher education, including the launch of Sree Narayana Guru Open University.

“In an aspect of life, knowledge brings courage, understanding, acceptance, unity and also liberates us from the clutches of ignorance,” Khan said. “The society expects the Digital University to provide intellectual support to lap up the new world of opportunities arising through artificial intelligence, blockchain, data analytics and other digital transformation courses.”

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Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan pointed out that the launch of the Digital University in the country would open tremendous opportunities for youngsters. “There should not be a digital divide in the society. The government is involved in the efforts of attaining digital excellence in various fields. We need to foster technically-talented people in accordance with the changes in the new world,” he said. “The benefits of digital technology should be made available for people in various walks of life.”