A team representing the Amrita-led Civil 20 Education and Digital Transformation Working Group (EDT WG) participated in the Inaugural Global 20 (G20) Education Working Group Meeting and Networking session held at IITM Research Park, Chennai. Dr. Prema Nedungadi, EDT WG Chair, and Dr. Raghu Raman, Dean, School of Business, attended an invite-only meeting on 30th January led by Shri K Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, and participated in the seminars on the following day.

The event was organised by the Ministry of Education and the G20 Secretariat in close coordination with IIT Madras. Shri Murthy delivered the keynote address on the Sherpa track. The theme of the seminar, “The Role of Digital Technologies in Education”, was held with the aim of identifying areas/themes to promote possible academic and research collaboration among educational institutions in G20 member countries.

In the talk titled “Digital Technology in Education – A Global Perspective”, Dr. V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, touched upon some of the major initiatives undertaken, technical details about the initiatives, experiences of the teachers and students, accessibility, inclusivity, and equity while taking into account challenges and drawbacks. Dr. Kamakoti emphasised that the G20 summit provides an opportunity to learn and share best practices for achieving key goals of UN SDG 4, Quality Education.

Representatives from international organisations included UNESCO, UNICEF, the World Bank, and the OECD. In addition to G20 Education Working Group members from each G20 member country, guest countries, and international organisations, attended the event. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Dr. Prema Nedungadi, EDT WG Chair, and Dr. Raghu Raman attended the seminars organized.

As part of the event, over 50 exhibition booths were set up and open to the public. CSOs, leaders and representatives of Ministries, IIT students, students and teachers from various colleges and schools in Chennai visited the exhibition. The C20 EDT team showcased at the exhibitionkey initiatives undertaken by Amrita in the space of Education, Skill Development, and Digital Transformation.