Chitkara University and Paramotor establish Centre for Future Technologies and Innovation

Chitkara University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Paramotor Digital Technology Limited. The Sonia Asher Centre of Excellence in Future Technologies and Innovation has been formed as the result of the partnership. The Centre will focus on fintech, digital payments, artificial intelligence, data science and technology-enabled financial services.

Students will get opportunities to work on practical assignments and participate in workshops. This will allow them to interact with professionals working in the technology and financial services sectors. Engineering, business, design, mass communication and law will all be part of the Centre's activities. Paramotor Digital Technology Limited will support the Centre through a range of activities.

Students will have opportunities to engage directly with professionals and gain a better understanding of how ideas move from the classroom into actual business environments.

Faculty members will also engage with industry practitioners and stay connected with developments in areas to brush their skills up.

Dr. Madhu Chitkara, President and Co-Founder of Chitkara University, said, “Technology is reshaping the financial landscape at an unprecedented pace, and preparing students for this transformation requires more than academic knowledge. It demands meaningful engagement with industry and an interdisciplinary perspective.”

The focus on fintech is significant as financial services continue to become increasingly technology dependant . Digital payments, artificial intelligence and new financial technologies are forcing businesses to adapt. They also need to understand the business context in which it is used, the customer experience it creates and communication considerations that come alongside.

This is where the Centre will bring together the different disciplines represented at the University.

A student working on a technology project, for instance, may need to think about more than the technical solution. Questions around business viability, user experience, communication, data and regulation can be equally important.

Having students and faculty from different academic backgrounds work around the same areas can help bring these perspectives into the learning process.

The Centre will also create opportunities for students to take part in activities that mirror the way industry teams work.

Hackathons can allow students to develop and test ideas within a limited timeframe. Workshops can introduce them to tools, practices and challenges from the field. Practitioner interactions can give them a closer view of the work professionals do every day.

Industry projects can take this a step further by giving students the opportunity to work with practical problems rather than only theoretical case studies.

For faculty members, continued engagement with industry can provide another way to bring current examples and practices into teaching. It can also help identify areas where students may need additional exposure as technology and job roles continue to evolve.

The collaboration also reflects the University's broader emphasis on giving students exposure to professional environments during their academic journey. Learning does not stop at understanding a concept in class; seeing how that concept is applied, questioned and adapted in practice can add another dimension to the learning experience.

It will also give students from other disciplines a chance to understand how their own fields connect with this sector.

The views expressed in this article are of Chitkara University and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha.