Anna Varsity to have the I-Spark Centre

CHENNAI: Anna University has signed an MoU with Microsoft on Friday to launch the I-Spark Centre of Excellence programme at its campus. Under this I-Spark programme, students will have access to the latest software and developer tools, which will provide them the much needed headstart for innovation and entrepreneurship.About four lakh-odd students of Anna University and its affiliate colleges will benefit from this programme.S Somasegar, senior Vice President, Developer Division of Microsoft Corporation, said, “It is exciting to see how educational institutions across India drive innovation among students. I clearly see synergies between institutes like Anna University and Microsoft, where innovation is regarded as the most powerful driving force for everything we do.”He added, “These are exciting times for India and I-Spark program can play a pivotal role in enhancing the skills of students, in empowering them to use the latest software and developer tools and transform their ideas into reality.”Somasegar was positive that this I-Spark programme of Microsoft would provide an ‘innovation platform’, which acts as hub for collaboration among colleges, universities, government, quasi government bodies and industry partners. This inclusive platform is also focused to facilitate growth of the local software economy in the country. Somasegar, an alumna of Anna University, called upon the students to dream big and pursue their passion no matter what others say.Talking about the next big thing in IT, he spoke about cloud computing and how it is going to transform the industry. He also mentioned that from this year on, Microsoft Corp will be hiring students directly from India’s premium colleges to work at its campus in Redmond and that Anna University would be one of the first universities where Microsoft would look to hire for its R&D facilities.Speaking on the occasion, P Manar Jawahar, Vice Chancellor of Anna University, said, “In this highly competitive environment, it is important for students to think out of the box and leverage technology optimally to develop path breaking solutions. I am sure Microsoft’s I-Spark program is one such platform that will provide opportunities for students to encourage them to learn, experiment and innovate.”