Shaping the Future of Work through Industry-Academia Collaboration
In an era where technological advancements and automation are poised to redefine the global job market, Convergence 2024, Jio Institute’s flagship global initiative, provided a unique platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration between industry professionals and academia. The event held at Singapore which in itself is a second edition of its own was held at a critical juncture when global economic and technological shifts are transforming industries. The event brought together thought leaders, innovators, and educators to address the skills gap, the future of work, and the importance of aligning education with emerging industry needs.
The Context: A World in Flux
The nature of work is undergoing an unprecedented transformation, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and automation. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has predicted that in the near future, around 97 million new roles will emerge, particularly in technology-driven industries. These changes underscore the importance of equipping the workforce with the right skills to navigate the evolving landscape. On the horizon of global talent shortage, the urgency for strategic alignment between education and industry is clearly requisite. Jio Institute has been working diligently to fill in the very gap and has been accomplishing this work thoroughly.
Event Overview: Convergence-2024@Singapore Edition 2.0
Convergence 2.0 succeeding the previous year’s event served as a unique platform for industry and academia to network, collaborate, and build partnerships. The event kicking off with an impactful inaugural session, positioned keynote speeches from the Jio Institute leadership and prominent APAC figures such as Mr. Prantik Mazumdar, President of TiE Singapore; Mr. Emmanuel Pillai, Head of ASEAN Education & Training at AWS; and Mr. Bidyut Damra, Innovation Head at DBS Bank. Prantik emphasized that the evolving landscape of digitisation needed apt marketing strategies for the new AI and data analytics. He as well underlined the need for ‘cross-disciplinary’ collaboration between academia and industry.
Panel 1: Tech & Transition: Convergence Of AI Across Sectors
The first panel brought together industry leaders to explore the transformative impact of AI across various fields such as manufacturing, sports, consulting, and management. Featuring prominent figures like Mr. Manish Pant, Executive Vice President, Schneider Electric; Mr. Nishchal Khorana, Global Vice President at Frost & Sullivan; and Ms. Priya Khanna, Senior Director at PepsiCo, the discussion delved into how AI-driven technologies are revolutionising operational efficiency, decision-making processes, and user experiences across different sectors.
Mr. Nischal emphasized that the academia “synergize” with global demands equipping the students with relevant skills. Mr. Manish necessitated that the “theoretical knowledge be bridged with practical applications so that professionals are prepared for rapidly changing challenges.” Describing the event as a “melting pot of ideas”, he asked the diverse stakeholders to inspire creativity and “future-ready solutions”. The participating students gained insights into AI trends across industries, explored collaboration opportunities, and engaged with leaders, drawing inspiration for entrepreneurial and career growth.
Panel 2: Navigating The Future: Breakthroughs & Perspectives From New-age Startups
The 2nd panel discussed the revolutionary innovations emerging from new- age start-ups. Start up founders like Mr. Gaurav Bubna from NextBillion.ai emphasized AI’s “transformative impact” on mapping solutions for various industries. He discussed how AI is “improving geospatial mapping” by handling vast amounts of data across varied environments. Ms. Jeanne Lim cognised around the “ethical concerns of AI”, focusing on privacy, bias & fairness, and close association of AI with people. She stressed the importance of ensuring unbiased data & continuous evaluation. While talking about patient data predictive analysis, Mr. Arun Sethuraman highlighted AI's expanding role in healthcare, forecasting significant advancements in the next five years. He also noted challenges like slow adoption of digital technologies in traditional healthcare.
Convergence 2024 served as the culmination of the two-week study abroad module for our AI & Data Science and Management (Marketing) students at NTU Singapore. The participants gained insights into AI trends across industries, explored collaboration opportunities, and engaged with leaders, drawing inspiration for entrepreneurial and career growth. They networked with global thought leaders, investors, start-up founders, industry association leaders, government delegates and senior academicians, enriching their overall experiences.