Around 76 colleges from all over India — adding up to thousands of students — were present under one roof as a part of ‘SAP Techniversity’, an education conference held recently in the City.

Vishwanath Anand and Suresh Raina were amongst the eminent personalities present at the event. The ambience was oozing with a lot of enthusiasm as the students milled around, introducing themselves to others.

Events such as these bridge the gap between the industry and the academics, feels Bharath, from City Engineering College. He says, “All the while, we only hear about the industry from our lecturers.

But after coming here, I really get that corporate feeling. I am meeting so many people and they are so enthusiastic about talking to the students. Over a cup of coffee, they narrate their real-life experiences to us. We really get to learn a lot.”

Everyone was eagerly awaiting Vishwanath Anand’s speech. Vidya, from APS Engineering College, says, “I really liked listening to the ‘Grand Master’. Some of the things that he said really struck a chord with me. For instance, he told us to plan our every move since life is also like a chess game.”

Vishwas, from BMS Engineering College, adds, “I liked the entire idea of having a ‘Techniversity’. It’s rare to find organisations planning such events for students. Today’s programme is a fine blend of people from the industry and students.

We get to interact with students from various colleges — not only from Karnataka, but from all over the country. I just had a conversation with a student from Bhubaneswar and I was amazed to find different practices of education there. Moreover, it is also about networking. We might get internships or even placement offers. So, I am really looking forward to this.”