“Communication skills and critical thinking towards problem solving are the key basics which should be inculcated among students to adapt themselves to the swift moving world technological scenario,” said Dr Veena Kumar, Director Program in American Language Studies Rutgers, the State university of New Jersey, USA.

Addressing the gathering at the two-day workshop on “Mastering the Art and Science of Teaching Engineering and Research Master-08” jointly organized by Hewlett-Packard and Department of Computer Science and Engineering Manipal Institute of Technology here at MIT on Tuesday she opined that practical touch is more essential to the students to evade failure on entering professional life.

In India, most of the educational institutions are focused on theoretical teaching, she added.

Stressing the need for quality among students, Dr Kumar said even though India produces 4,50,000 engineers every year, irony is that only 25% of them amount to employment reasoning for the lack of quality. India is adorned abroad for its intellect and capabilities and measures should be taken by educational institutions to sustain this, she added .

University Relations Manager HP India Dr Vinnie Jauhari, Pro Vice Chancellor Manipal University & Director MIT Brig S S Pabla, HOD Dept CS&E MIT Dr Prema K V and Convener Dr N V Subbha Reddy were present.