IIT Madras to set up Wadhwani School of Data Science & AI
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Arun Kumar- 0
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Indian American Sunil Wadhwani has donated more than $13 to IIT Madras for setting up the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI. Photo: The American Bazaar
Indian American entrepreneur and philanthropist Sunil Wadhwani has given an endowment of Rs 110 Crore ($13.25 million) to his alma mater Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) for setting up the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI.
A distinguished alumnus of IIT Madras and the Co-founder of IGATE and Mastech Digital, Wadhwani’s gift is one of the largest gifts given by an alumnus to create a School at an educational institution in India.
An MoU was signed Jan 30 between Wadhwani and Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, in Chennai in the presence of faculty, students, alumni, and researchers, according to a press release.
With a vision to be among the top AI-focused schools worldwide, Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI also aims to advise the government and policymakers on Data Science and AI-related policy areas.
“AI and social impact are close to my heart, and it’s my honour to be contributing to my alma mater,” said Wadhwani. “I see a strong need for a dedicated Data Science and AI school focusing on foundational and applied research in these areas.”
“With the advancements in science and technology, India holds immense potential and can be a world leader in AI and allied sciences. As a proud alumnus, IIT Madras holds a special place in my life, and I am gratified to be associated with them in this manner.”
Highlighting the need for such a school, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “With the advent of Industry 4.0, wherein AI and Data Science are the main movers, the need for a school for Data Science and AI is critical. IIT Madras has started this highly interdisciplinary school involving faculty from many departments joining hands to work on niche areas, including Responsible AI. ”
Over the years, Wadhwani, through his family foundation, Wadhwani Impact Trust, has been supporting social welfare, affordable healthcare, and scientific research through the Wadhwani Institute of Sustainable Healthcare (WISH Foundation) and Wadhwani Institute of Artificial Intelligence (WIAI), respectively.
The WISH Foundation has impacted over 30 million lives across eight states in India by making quality healthcare accessible to economically challenged people.
As an independent non-profit institute, WIAI develops AI-based solutions for underserved communities in developing countries. Wadhwani was named in TIME100 AI list of 2023, a list of the 100 most influential people in Artificial Intelligence across the globe.
Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI will offer the following courses: BTech programme in AI and Data Analytics; MTech programme in Data Science and AI; MS & PhD Programmes in Data Science and AI; Joint MSc in Data Science and AI with the University of Birmingham, UK; International Interdisciplinary Masters Programme in Data Science; Interdisciplinary Dual Degree in Data Science; and Web-enabled MTech in Industrial AI.
Admissions will commence in July 2024. The school will also run a Joint MSc in Data Science and AI with the University of Birmingham, UK, admitting 30 students and an International Interdisciplinary Masters Programme.
Laying out the vision, Prof. B. Ravindran, Founding Head, Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, IIT Madras, said, “Data Science and AI are inherently interdisciplinary fields. The Wadhwani School will enable close collaboration between domain experts and AI researchers to develop solutions that integrate AI with existing approaches. Our various degree programs will train students in core AI techniques, data-driven problem solving, and interdisciplinary design adhering to principles of responsible AI. There will be programs that cater to industry professionals and an international student body.”
Extensive interdisciplinary research efforts will place IIT Madras at the forefront of Data Science and AI. This new School will integrate core and fundamental research with application research, according to the release.
The Applied Research Areas of this School will be: Healthcare; Agriculture; Smart cities and transportation; Financial analytics; Manufacturing; Energy and Environment; Defense; Education; and Systems Biology
Born in Delhi, India, Wadhwani obtained his B.Tech. Degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Madras in 1974 and a Master of Science in Industrial Administration from Carnegie-Mellon University at Pittsburgh in 1976. IIT Madras honored Wadhwani in 1999 with the Distinguished Alumnus Award.