Manipal University inks pact to start precast design course

Manipal Institute of Technology will offer India’s first precast design and engineering course from the next academic session. The decision to start the course was taken after a memorandum of understanding was signed between the UAE-based Faizal and Shabana Foundation and Manipal University in Dubai. 

The Foundation will invest Rs five crore towards research and development facility for precast concrete technology.

“Manipal University will set up a lab for this new precast design and engineering course which will be a part of BTech (civil) and BArch in the University’s curriculum,” said Registrar Dr G K Prabhu who signed the MoU on behalf of Manipal University.  Faizal Kottikollon, Chairman of the Foundation and an alumnus of MIT, was the other signatory. 

While the research and development centre will be set up by the Foundation, the expertise will be given to the University through a collaboration with Finland’s Lahti University of Applied Sciences.  

Explaining the concept of the new course, Dr Prabhu said that it could give rise to revolutionary changes in the construction sector, because the technology is such that it teaches how to construct huge buildings in a few months with precast material. “We are hopeful that the students will gain from this new course and so too will the industry,” Dr Prabhu said.