The long ventilated gap between industry & academia incessantly being on the rise, most of the technical institutions in our subcontinent are still busy making engineering ‘employees’, ignoring a simple logic – the need for entrepreneurs to employ them, world class scientists to take the innovations forward, and ameliorating the standard of social living in a collaborative manner. But it’s no time to surrender, since the technical institutions such as Cambridge Institute of Technology (CITech) are rebelling these engineer-making factories with a broad objective of surging society’s standard of living through world-class education. Accredited by NAAC, approved by AICTE and affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Cambridge goes beyond carving employable students through quality academia to act as a platform that recognizes their strengths and weaknesses, imparts personalized & specific training throughout the academic days, and eventually builds entrepreneurs, scientists and even artists out of them.

Quality has a better deal with highest-degree holders in the domain. From the Principal to all the department heads and professors, Cambridge has 32 PhD holders, enabling it to provide students with domain specific training under the six UG programs (ECE, EE, CSE, IT, Civil Engineering & Mechanical Engineering), and M.Tech Programs in Computer Science, Networking, Electronics and Machine Drawing. Furthermore, the institute also offers MBA & MCA programs.

A Paradigm Centered on R&D
Awarded as the ‘Best Upcoming College For The Year 2016’ by VTU, Cambridge has six R&D departments (for each engineering discipline) inside the campus; no wonder its pedagogy paradigm, which is a perfect amalgamation of creative R&D efforts, technology leverage, and scientific learning process, goes beyond four walls of the classroom. Over the years, this ISO 9001:2008 Certified institution’s R&D departments have hosted many novel concepts including public & private cloud creation projects, and a recently completed IOT project in which the students designed & developed an in-house system to switch off all the devices in the laboratories using smartphones.

Nevertheless, a few of the projects have gathered tremendous social interest as well. Achieving permission from BBMP, the students even reached out to find a solution for Bangalore’s notorious lake pollution, placing sensors in the lake to study about the malicious compounds in the water and in turn saving fishes & giving timely instructions to the masses. The result? Cambridge acquired funds from Karnataka Government right away to study more about the lakes behavior. “Another remarkable project was carried out in Kokrebellur Bird Sanctuary, where our students installed sensors, captured images and monitored the birds to recognize their behaviors and attract more birds through certain preventive measures,” elucidates Dr. Suresh L, Professor & Principal, Cambridge Institute of Technology. In addition, winning a race against IITs and IISc, Cambridge has recently brought home an Rs.45 lac worth project, which is a collective initiative of Government of India & Royal College of Engineering, London.

Following Cambridge’s world-class R&D efforts, a plethora of MNCs such as EMC2, Infosys, Happy Locate & Singapore Infotech have set international incubation centers inside the campus, where a lot of students have already started working and often undertake their internships. These incubation centers also help the institute to ensure a matchless count of UG students accomplishing their internships.

The institute never gives room for run-of-the-mill pedagogy even inside the walls. The mandatory two-hour creative session conducted twice a week has already been proven extremely effective with students significantly improving their soft skills including interpersonal & language skills (the skill weaknesses are mapped quite early when the students join the institute). Cambridge has also reserved time for several group activities where students get awarded for finding the best solution in the lowest possible time, targeting to enhance their problem solving skills.

Ensuring the uncut engagement between students and faculties, the students are divided into groups and provided with mini-projects on hot topics like IOT, Robotics,IC Engines and much more from the first year of UG program, which they often convert into main projects. On the other hand, besides using an automated attendance register for students, Cambridge is making the conventional ‘Smart Classroom’ concept even smarter and broader with its Cambridge Learning Management System(CLMS),which not only acts as a single window for students to obtain comprehensive learning tools including class notes (updated every day),question papers and assignment questions, but also ensures the availability of various courses (including NPTEL courses)at their hand reach. On the flip side, the students can also share their questions on the platform.

Leaders in the Making

While the scientific & creative engagement with students helps in mitigating the ‘learning-phobia’,getting them acquainted with the industry is the next step of learning process in Cambridge.Well, a Corporate Centre inside the campus does this job. “The pain points differ in various branches. For instance,the hotcakes in the business like embedded system have a limited coverage in regular academics.Thus,besides periodic industrial visits,we expose our students to additional in-house hands-on training led by industry professionals, and in turn give them much wider perspectives with an aim to mold at least 10 percent of our graduates as entrepreneurs,” asserts D.K. Mohan, Chairman, Cambridge Institute of Technology & former President of the City Municipal Council, Bangalore. Best known for tracing out and enhancing the leadership skills in students at an early stage, Cambridge’s Corporate Centre guides them in every aspect of starting a business, and even facilitates mission critical applications for them. It’s not surprising that a lot of Cambridge alumni not only kick-started their own business right after the college, but also expanded it across the country in shut-eye time.

While the scientific & creative engagement with students helps in mitigating the‘learning-phobia’, getting them acquainted with the industry is the next step of learning process in Cambridge

On the flip side, around 10 percent of the students opt for higher education, out of which five percent wants to study abroad. Coloring students’ foreign university dreams, Cambridge through tie-ups with some of the best universities in the world provides direct admissions. Recently, it had a couple of spot admission in to Illinois University. In addition, it has an International Learning Center inside the campus, which enables the students to pursue online courses from various international universities affordably and also to interact with the foreign professors.“Our students often do two-three certifications from renowned universities before they complete their UG program, and when they go for higher education in foreign universities,they are well-aware of the foreign education methods,” adjoins Dr. Suresh. More over, the International Learning Center augments with a Language Lab that trains students in three foreign languages – French, German & Japanese to ascertain a considerable push in their eligibility.

Maintaining a healthy 1:15 student-faculty ratio, Cambridge is extremely vigilant in preserving its world class quality of education, and thus conducts a Faculty Development Program (FDP) post every semester, which lasts at least 10 days (five days each for technical & soft-skill trainings), and also insists them to complete at least one new certification per semester. D.K. Mohan says, “Our faculties are research oriented enthusiastic people who even collect feedback from students and help them individually. However, it was a proud moment when one among our faculties recently won the Best & Youngest Scientist Award, competing with the faculties of institutes like IITs”.

Decades of Breathing Quality

Today, four decades later, Umesh Education Trust through Cambridge is in the forefront among providers of quality education in the State of Karnataka.Ideally located on a verdant ten acres in the heart of Bangalore, the college is accessible to all the important areas of the city. When it comes to Cambridge, the financial background of students never comes in the picture;in fact, the economically poor students are often provided with Rs.10,000scholarship immediately. “We waive off the entire college fees of students who get a rank under 3000, grant Rs.35,000 scholarship for those who rank between 3000-5000, and also the top three ranks in each department are awarded with Gold,Silver & Bronze medals, ” proclaims Dr. Suresh.

Looking forward to become autonomous in the near future, the institute’s infrastructure facilities are built accordingly, matching the world-class standards. Separate hostels for boys & girls that meet the international standards are located inside the campus with tight security measures and facilities like 24x7 clinic & doctors, counseling center, yoga center and cafeteria. Over the past decade, the institute has significantly contributed in the inter college cultural & sports events as well, conducting yearly fests like ‘Chiguru’, which ensures the participation of about 20000 students from VTU affiliated colleges. “We have already achieved NAAC accreditation and are looking forward to become autonomous within a couple of years, and a private deemed university within five years. We have completed 40 acres of land acquisition in the outskirts of Bangalore for this,” adds D.K. Mohan.

Placement Always Matters

Though, insofar as scholars are concerned, a lion-share of Cambridge’s students gets placed in reputed organizations. Recently received the Best Placements Award from VTU, Cambridge has a high-functioning placement cell in possession and is betting high on nothing less than a 100 percent placement for the students, since more than 50 organizations including Capgemini, Tech Mahindra, IBM, HCL are inducting candidates from the institute every year. Tying up with more companies en route to the private university status, Cambridge is one of the country’s best institutes to carve a meaningful future.

Key management:

D.K. Mohan, Chairman
An educationist and philanthropist, Mohan takes pride in nurturing & enriching the total personality of every student who comes into Cambridge, and ensures that each individual stands apart as exceptional examples of superior education.

Dr. Suresh L, Professor & Principal
An educationist inspiring young professionals to pursue their dreams and leading his own research team, Dr. Suresh brings in three decades of administration & teaching experience in the field of Computer Science.

Highlights:

Courses offered:

UG (ECE, EE, CSE, IT, Civil Engineering & Mechanical Engineering)

PG (M.Tech, MBA & MCA

Basic Science

Placement Companies: More than 50 leading organizations including Capgemini, Tech Mahindra, IBM & HCL

Extra-Curricular activities:

Sports Day

Yoga

Inter-college Fest – Chiguru

Incubation centers:
EMC2, Infosys, HappyLocate & Singapore Infotech