Agreement between Madras University and Sutherland Global Services for AI Lab

The Syndicate of the University of Madras (UoM) on Friday approved a proposal to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sutherland Global Services, a digital-driven business transformation company. The primary objective of this collaboration is to establish an Artificial Intelligence (AI) laboratory in the university's Department of Women's Studies.

According to a report by The Hindu, this new initiative is an extension of a previous agreement. Under an older MoU signed in April 2019, Sutherland Global Services had allocated ₹50 lakh to set up a 'Gender Lab' in the Department of Women's Studies. This lab conducted online courses on 'Gender Sensitisation and Workplace Readiness' for students across all four campuses of the university.

However, due to the lockdown, this lab remained closed for a long period, resulting in the deterioration of the digital tools and equipment housed there. The company has now proposed to renew this old agreement and upgrade the lab. Under this, the company will install new systems and modern infrastructure in the lab.

The new MoU aims not only to revive the old Gender Lab but also plans to establish a separate Artificial Intelligence lab for 'Inclusive Education'. Special e-modules will be developed through this AI lab for courses on the 'Application of Artificial Intelligence', which will promote the integration of technology in education.

Thus, this innovation by Sutherland Global Services will provide university students with new guidance in both the fields of modern technology and social awareness. This project will increase the capacity of the Department of Women's Studies in the field of digital education and provide students with the opportunity to learn industry-oriented skills.

Consequently, this decision taken by the university administration will strengthen the bridge between education and industry. Specifically, an effort has been made to promote inclusive education using emerging technologies like AI, which will prove to be extremely important for the future academic framework.