Chemical Engineering at GSFC University: Blending hands-on experience with classroom teaching

Chemical Engineering is a vibrant discipline with a central role in many new and emerging technologies - to impact across all scales - systems, processes, products, and molecules. Chemical Engineers create innovative solutions to important industrial and societal problems in areas like the development of clean energy sources, advancement of life sciences, production of pharmaceuticals, responsible environmental stewardship, and discovery and production of new materials. The Gujarat Industrial Policy - 2020 has indicated an increase in demand of Chemical Engineers in near future as a major investment is being made in the sector of Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals in 453 sq. km. at Dahej, Gujarat.

The GSFC University in Vadodara is situated at the heart of the chemical belt comprising of major chemical industries like GSFC Limited, IOCL, GACL, Reliance - IPCL, Prakash Chemicals, Deepak Nitrite in the nearby vicinity along with various other chemical industries like ONGC, Reliance Jamnagar Refinery, Atul Chemicals, etc. in different parts of Gujarat. Chemical engineering now extends beyond its traditional roots in oil and gas processing to interdisciplinary emerging technologies like recycling and waste management, green technology, nuclear and biomedical engineering opening up potential career paths for future chemical engineers.

The Gujarat Industrial Policy - 2020 has indicated an increase in demand of Chemical Engineers in near future as a major investment is being made in the sector of Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals in 453 sq. km. at Dahej, Gujarat.

Chemical Engineering Program at GSFC University pledged to go by the experiential learning through industrial internships after every semester followed by the final six months of an industrial project in the last semester. The campus is situated within the vicinity of the esteemed organization of GSFC Limited with access to 22 process plants along with internship opportunities in GACL, L&T, GFL, IOCL, Deepak Nitrate, GNFC, etc. gives immediate industrial exposure to the students. The hands-on experience is well supported by the chemical engineering programme’s cutting-edge curriculum meeting industry demands and fully equipped laboratory facilities for indulging students in the basic knowledge for becoming industry-ready.

Chemical Engineering Program at GSFC University pledged to go by the experiential learning through industrial internships after every semester followed by the final six months of an industrial project in the last semester.

Chemical Engineering Program in GSFC University offers a bouquet of highly relevant courses both subject-specific and matching the emerging technologies. To meet professional goals in terms of presentation and interview a course in Soft skills and Technical writing is also offered. The students also participate in various co-curricular and extracurricular activities through different student-managed clubs and the AIChE GSFCU student chapter. American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) student chapters are a great way for chemical engineering students to connect both locally and globally with other students and experts in the field of chemical engineering for networking, scholarships, career placement, education opportunities, etc.

Students in GSFC University also have exposure to the incubation and innovation center GUIITAR (GSFC University Incubation, Innovation, Technology & Applied Research Centre) which helps them orient, develop, tinker and create their own business platforms as a career path option.

About the author

Dr Sanjukta  Goswami is a Chemical Engineering faculty at GSFC University

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha