Title: The Emergence of HSS at IIT Kanpur: My Experiences as a Psychology Faculty
Date and Time: March 19, 2026 (Thursday), 4:30 PM
Venue: L 04 (Lecture Hall Complex)
Speaker: Prof. Lilavati Krishnan (Retd.)
About the speaker: Lilavati Krishnan was a faculty member in the Department of HSS, IIT Kanpur and superannuated in June 2014 after spending 36 years here. While at IIT Kanpur, she carried out research on prosocial behaviour and distributive justice, and taught many different courses at the undergraduate and PhD levels. For several years during her stay at the Institute, she was part of the Student Counselling Service. As Head of the HSS Department (2009- 2012) and Chair of some Institute-level committees, she contributed to administrative activities. Post-retirement, she was associated with IISER Bhopal and IIT Gandhinagar. Currently she resides in Indore, her hometown.
Abstract: Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur began in the early 1960s as a full-fledged department with a small group of distinguished scholars. Its purpose was to bring a human dimension to engineering and science education. The department initially represented six disciplines—Philosophy, English literature and linguistics, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, and later Fine Arts. While the early focus was on undergraduate teaching, PhD programs in five disciplines were soon introduced.
When I joined as a Psychology faculty member in 1978, I entered a vibrant, multidisciplinary department within an institute known for academic excellence. Two defining features of the system were faculty autonomy in designing courses and student flexibility in choosing HSS electives. Over the next three decades, I came to understand more deeply the department’s role within the Institute.
In this talk, I reflect on my experiences as a member of the HSS community, my growth as a Psychology faculty as the department grew, and on the changes the department witnessed. Among these were the shift from a five-year to a four-year undergraduate program, steady increase in undergraduate student numbers, and the arrival of personal computers and the Internet. All of these developments reshaped teaching and learning significantly.
My interactions with colleagues and students, and my involvement with the Student Counselling Service, remain among my most memorable experiences. At the same time, the department faced challenges such as large classes, managing tutorials, declining attendance, and reduced student motivation.
A central challenge was encouraging students to think critically, ask questions, and see how Psychology relates to their personal, social, and professional lives. Despite these difficulties, teaching Psychology and being part of HSS at IIT Kanpur was deeply rewarding. In effect, the department helped broaden a STEM-focused education toward a STEAM approach, where the “A” represents the Arts.
Title: Technology Is Ready for the Classroom. Are Practitioners Ready for Technology?
Date and Time: February 12, 2026 (Thursday), 4:30 PM (Tea will be served at 4:15 PM)
Venue: L04 (Lecture Hall Complex)
Speaker: Prof. Sudarshan Iyengar
About the speaker: Dr. Sudarshan Iyengar is an educator, researcher, and computing enthusiast who strives to make technical education more engaging and impactful through storytelling. A PhD graduate from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), he has delivered over 400 popular science talks, conducted 120+ Faculty Development Programs, and created online SWAYAM/NPTEL courses that have reached over 1 million students. He is a strong advocate for innovative teaching methodologies in higher education. His SWAYAM course “The Joy of Computing” stands number one in terms of enrolments and attracts close to 75,000 enrolments every semester.
Dr. Sudarshan, a faculty member in the CSE Department at IIT Ropar, is currently serving as the Director of Annam.AI, a newly established ₹330-crore Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence at IIT Ropar. Additionally, he is the Principal Investigator and leads the Education Design Lab at IIT Ropar, where he works on creating novel pedagogical frameworks for the future of learning. He heads a national level FDP initiative Gurusetu of MMTTP which is meant to up-skill 15 Lakh teachers of Higher education. He is also the Nodal Coordinator in the country for the Prime Minister Research Fellowship Programme for Computer Science and Mathematics and the Nodal Coordinator for PM SHRI for the implementation of NEP in the Punjab region. He is the founding faculty of the IIT Madras BS Programme. He has graduated 10 PhD students and is currently guiding 5 in the area of Education Technologies.
His research spans AI for Social Good and Education Design. A home-schooling father of two, Dr. Sudarshan finds joy in exploring literature—from short stories to philosophy—fuelling his mission to make education inspiring and accessible to all.
Abstract: While advances in Technology can personalise learning, provide real-time feedback, and relieve teachers of repetitive tasks, most classrooms still rely on uniform instruction, limited diagnostics, and outdated workflows that fail to meet diverse learner needs. This talk argues that meaningful educational transformation requires rethinking how classrooms operate—moving from intuition-driven teaching to data-informed, adaptive learning environments. Technology is not here to replace teachers but to amplify their impact, giving them the tools, visibility, and support needed to unlock every learner’s potential. The future of learning is ready; our classrooms must now catch up. The talk will highlight on some of the strategic changes that we can bring into our classrooms when it comes to Science/Engineering Instruction.
Title: What is that industry is looking for in engineering graduates?
Date and Time: January 29, 2026, 4:30 PM
Venue: L04 (Lecture Hall Complex)
Speaker: Prof. Deepak (Retd.)
About the speaker: Professor Deepak graduated from IIT Kanpur in 1987 with B. Tech. in Metallurgical Engineering. He did his Masters in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida, Gainesville, in 1989 and Ph. D. in Materials Science and Mineral Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1993. After doing a post-doctoral fellowship at Argonne Nation Lab, he joined Motorola in Arizona, USA, as a Staff Process & Electronic Engineer and worked there for three years. Thereafter he joined the department of Materials Science and Engineering, IIT Kanpur as an Assistant Professor in 1997 and became a professor in 2005. During this time, he was also a coordinator of the Samtel Center for Display Technologies and also led a team for Samtel Engineers to develop a OLED display in IIT Kanpur. In 2017 he founded a start-up Transpacks Technologies (Checko) whose product is being used by several Fortune 500 companies. In 2025, he took Voluntary Retirement from the institute and devotes his time to guiding the start-up he founded.
Abstract: The question is bothersome because we often treat industry as a monolith — yet it clearly is not. If industry is not a single, unified entity, whose voices can we trust in trying to fulfil industry’s diverse expectations? What role do educationists play in determining what is right and what is wrong in such a varied landscape? A large industrial organization’s expectation can be quite different from that a small-scale industry and from that of a start-up. Academicians’ deep research interest may also influence the decision what would be taught in a curriculum. This presentation draws on my long academic career and over a decade of industry experience, including the founding of a start-up, to raise these issue in some coherent manner. It will deliberately surface perspectives that may appear confusing or even orthogonal; however, the aim is to search for real teaching and education needs and the hope is to arrive at a model that can accommodate varied education needs for the next fifty years.
Title: Bridging Engineering Education with Organizational Success Empowering Students for Professional Excellence
Date and Time: 18 November 2025, 4pm
Venue: L9
Speaker: Anil Sharma (Founder & CEO LeadEdge; B.Tech.(EE,IITK) - 1983 batch)
About the speaker: Anil has spent decades in the corporate sector, and is a leading expert in organizational and leadership development. He provides training to corporates across the globe.
Theme: The central theme of this talk is to explore how engineering education can be strategically aligned with the demands of organizational life, ensuring that graduates are not only technically proficient but also possess the essential skills and attributes required to thrive in the workplace. The session aims to share a practitioner’s perspectives with faculty members to enable reflection on nurturing holistic development among students, thereby fostering future professionals who are adaptable, collaborative, and innovative.
Abstract: In today's fast-evolving professional landscape, success in organizational life demands much more than technical expertise. As engineering educators, it is imperative to prepare students to face real-world challenges and create impact. This talk will examine the key competencies and mindsets that engineering graduates must develop for enduring success and thriving in a VUCA landscape. The insights are anchored in the experience and the journey of the speaker through the world of work and business. The session will facilitate a dialogue on implications for curriculum design, teaching methodologies, and campus culture and how they can be reimagined to foster these qualities. By integrating experiential learning, interdisciplinary exposure, industry interaction, and soft skills development into engineering education, faculty can play a pivotal role in shaping well-rounded professionals. The talk will also provide actionable insights and best practices to help faculty members bridge the gap between academic preparation and organizational expectations, ultimately contributing to the success and employability of their students.