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Rediff.com  » Business » Sun sets up e-learning centre in Kerala

Sun sets up e-learning centre in Kerala

By George Iype in Kochi
November 27, 2003 12:23 IST
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Global computer major Sun Microsystems has set up a Centre of Excellence in Kerala to create a virtual university for linking all the colleges in the state for e-learning.

The Sun facility at the Thiruvananthapuram-based Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management- Kerala is part of the ambitious Kerala Education Grid Project.

"In 18 months, all the universities and colleges in Kerala will be linked by the Grid Computing platform of Sun Microsystems to help all member institutions to share their educational resources. We will then have one of the world's biggest and best education grids," IIM-K director K R Srivathsan told rediff.com.

Srivathsan said that the Centre of Excellence in Kerala is Sun's fifth computing laboratory in educational institutions worldwide; the other four Sun facilities are in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand.

"It is a strategic initiative and Kerala will be the first state in India to create a collaborative educational network. Apart from the Kerala Education Grid, the tie up with Sun will provide advanced information systems for the current and future needs of the academia, government and industry," the IIITM-K director pointed out.

While IIITM-K will be the hub of the Education Grid, Sun's Advanced Computing

Laboratory will support the academic and research activities through high-end Sun servers, software and high quality course contents on advanced topics. The broadband fibre optic network being set up by the private telecom players across the state will act as the information backbone of the Grid.

The Kerala Education Grid is a major project undertaken by the state government to provide quality education to those who are pursuing higher studies. Planned in phases with participation from premier institutions and universities of Kerala, the Grid will ultimately link all the educational institutions across the state.

In course of time, Srivathsan said Sun's tie up with the Kerala government would extend to other areas like genome mapping, disease control and, information dissemination and networking system for the agriculture sector.

Towards this end, IIITM-K already has in place an agriculture project known as KISSAN (Karshaka Information Systems, Services And Networking). The project involves development and implementation of IT application through relevant information systems and networking to aggregate, share and disseminate information of importance and interest to the farmers, agriculture workers and officials in ways that enhance total agriculture development and farmers' welfare in the state.

The KISSAN project with the help of Sun would facilitate a total technological transformation consisting of changes in material inputs, complimentary farming techniques, storage technology, and research findings provided by experts and marketing agencies.
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