Hyderabad, India — March 26, 2024: The Work Integrated Learning Programmes (WILP) division of Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) Pilani will be hosting International Conference on Work Integrated Learning (ICONWIL-2024) at its Hyderabad campus on April 15 and 16, 2024. With extensive focus on developing constructive directions for the future in the critical and specific domain of “work integrated learning,” the conference aims to bring together scholars, practitioners, and policymakers from across the globe. The aim is to provide a thought-provoking common platform, where they can exchange their research findings and innovative ideas, share best practices, experiences, and insights on diverse aspects, and discuss solutions for various practical challenges that are encountered by professionals in the field of teaching and learning.

Prof. (Dr.) T G Sitharam, the Chairman, All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), Government of India, has gracefully accepted BITS Pilani’s invitation to be the Chief Guest for the opening ceremony of the conference.

Engaging keynote speeches, panel discussions, and paper and case study presentations

The conference will have keynote speeches and panel discussions (on contemporary topics in work integrated learning space) by internationally acclaimed thought leaders from both academia and industry. Some of the prominent speakers who shall grace the conference are Prof. Manu Kapur, Professor, ETH Zurich, Prof. Daniel Jonathan Bernstein, Professor-Emeritus, University of Kansas, USA, Prof. Nelson Lacey, Professor-Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Dr. Lakshminarayanan Samavedham, Associate Professor, University of Singapore, Dr. Edamana Prasad, Professor, IIT-Madras, Mr. P B Kotur, Global Head of Engineering Academy, L&T Technology Services Ltd, and Dr. Leena Deshpande, Head of Skill Development, Bharat Forge. The conference will also have paper and case study presentations from researchers and practitioners on five engaging tracks i.e. perspectives on future directions for work integrated learning, pedagogical practices, assessment models, innovation and learning technologies, and industry-academia collaboration. 

Showcase of tech-powered innovative learning solutions and a hands-on workshop

A student competition, “EduForge,” focusing on tech-powered solutions for “work integrated learning” will also be held as part of the conference. The competition will challenge participants to conceptualize, design, develop, and present innovative technological solutions that can help enhance the learning experience of students. The participants will have opportunities to showcase their innovation in five different tracks i.e. AI-enabled work integrated learning, innovative solutions for experiential learning, tech-enabled student engagement and peer learning, tech-enabled assessment, and tech-enabled student support system. A hands-on workshop on leveraging Generative AI in teaching and learning (with specific focus on practical use cases in work integrated learning) will also be facilitated by Mr. Keshava Rangarajan, co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Spanda AI, USA.

About Work Integrated Learning (WIL)

The Routledge International Handbook of Work Integrated Learning (2023) defines WIL as an educational approach involving three parties — the student, educational institution, and an external stakeholder (organisation) — consisting of authentic work-focused experiences as an intentional component of the curriculum. Students learn through active engagement in purposeful work tasks, which enable the integration of theory with meaningful practice that is relevant to the students' discipline of study and/or professional development.

Reflecting on the increasing need to focus more on the field of work integrated learning and its efficacy, Prof. G. Sundar, Director, Off-Campus Programmes & Industry Engagement, BITS Pilani, said, “In today’s dynamic world, where working professionals around the world are required to continuously learn and adapt to the ever-evolving requirements of their organisations and industry sectors, the work integrated learning serves as an appropriate model of education to update and upgrade their skills and knowledge, while helping them continue their professional career. BITS Pilani, one of the leading institutions in the work integrated learning space, has helped students and working professionals to do this and beyond for over 44 years now. ICONWIL-2024 is one of our initiatives to share our experience in offering the WIL model of education at scale in a sustainable way with the global practitioners, learn the best practices from them, and create a vibrant network to continuously build upon the knowledge.”

To know more about ICONWIL-2024 or to register (either as a national or international participant at the conference), please visit: https://iconwil.bits-pilani-wilp.ac.in/home