Bhubaneswar, February 18: While Odisha State Open University (OSOU) is technically transforming itself as a ‘Virtual Varsity’ equipping with an 8-Quadrant AI Module, it is equally thinking for the community to learn, lead & excel in all walks of life.
Especially the OSOU is dreaming high for the farmers, those are the bread makers and encountering various social issues, due to lack of functional knowledge, formal education and professional expertise in their field.
In order to instill formal education, functional skills and emerging technology among farmers those are somehow lagged behind due to socio-economic reasons, the OSOU is going to launch a strategic intervention through its ‘Learn from Home’ pedagogy. It’s why the OSOU, as a Public University has inked an MoU with the Odishs University of Agriculture & Technology(OUAT) on Tuesday.
In the sideline of a innovative workshop themed ‘Artificial Intelligence Application for Transforming Agri-food System’, OSOU VC Prof. Shyam Sundar Patnaik signed the MoU with the OUAT authorities.
Gracing the occasion as Chief Guest Prof. Patnaik said that the collaborative venture between the two leading varsities of the state would be catalytic towards sustainable development of the farmers. It would help robust farming across the state, based-on the traditional expertise of the farmers with implementing cutting-edge technology through instructions made available at their homes.
The OUAT as the mentor will formulate comprehensive curriculum as per the needs of the farmer community while the OSOU will disseminate it to the nuke & corner of the society. With the AI and distance education tools of the varsity, the farmers can boost their knowledge and enrich their expertise starting from preparation of fields to finding an adequate marketplace for their yields.
Underlining the significance of the community-instruction & farmer orientation program, the OSOU VC said, the venture will be an inclusive education & an impetus to enhance Gross Enrolment Ratio(GER). Integrating the farmer community into formal education and advanced agricultural practices will promote inclusivity for social wellbeing. Similarly, the novelty form of community education will be much accessible through digital integration. Leveraging OUAT’s academic content with OSOU’s LMS and mobile app will enable the farmers experience ease of “learning from home,” benefiting aspirant learners from remote and underserved regions.
The VC also said, OSOU’s AI-driven and skill initiatives will support both cognitive (knowledge-based) and psychomotor (hands-on) training, enhancing self-employment opportunities and employability of farmers.
Highlighting the advantage for the techies Prof. Patnaik said, with the MoU signed today, the OUAT students will have the opportunity to pursue dual degrees - their primary program along with an additional OSOU degree (e.g., MBA in Disaster Management, MSc in Cyber security) that will give them a competitive edge.
The new venture will help utilizing Odisha’s extensive disaster database to develop automated agent-based AI systems supporting disaster preparedness, research, and response initiatives. Similarly, the farmers will stay informed regarding smart farming & competency development. Promoting smart farming through robotics, drones, AI, and precision agriculture technologies, with structured training programs will build competency and modern agricultural expertise among the traditional farmer, Prof. Patnaik added.
Apart from strengthening contemporary farming and traditional farm practices among the paddy cropper & ley farmers, the slated program will nourish Digital Marketing Ecosystem for farm & local products. Establishing dedicated digital marketing wings to promote farm produce and local products will help strengthening rural entrepreneurship and market access through the interventions, said the OSOU VC.
“We are going to postulate Global Outreach & International programs to attract overseas students and promote global engagement for sustainable development of farmers across the globe”, said the VC.
