i5: Ignite Imaginations & Inspire Iconic Innovations

The IEEE Education Society Kerala Chapter along with the four most recognized Society Chapters of the IEEE Kerala Section organized a three-day National Technical Convention, Ignite Imaginations & Inspire Iconic Innovations (i5) from 14th – 16th October 2022 at the MEA Engineering College, Perinthalmanna, India. The primary objective of this initiative was to build up professionally talented students and prepare them for the upcoming industrial revolutions. Through this program, we hosted top-notch events in association with high-profile firms. The program was inaugurated by Dr. Rajasree M S, Vice Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University. This was the first of its kind event where five Society Chapters of the IEEE Kerala Section joined hands to bring out a revolution in the field of technical learning.

The Inaugural Ceremony was conducted on 14th October 2022 at 9:15 AM IST. The ceremony was blessed with the presence of prominent personalities like Dr. Rajasree M S, Former Vice Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Dr. Sameer S M, Secretary of IEEE Region 10, Prof. Muhammed Kasim S, General Chair of i5 & Vice Chair of IEEE Kerala Section, Dr. M V Rajesh, Chair of IEEE Kochi Sub Section, Dr. Bijuna Kunju, Chair of IEEE IA/IE/PELS Jt. Chapter Kerala, Dr. Shamna H R, Chair of IEEE ComSoc Kerala Chapter, Dr. Nandakumar R Nandanam, Chair of IEEE RAS Kerala Chapter, Dr. Leesha Paul, Vice Chair of IEEE EdSoc Kerala Chapter, Dr. G Ramesh, Principal of MEA Engineering College, Perinthalmanna and Mr. Jamsheer Ahmad P, Counselor of IEEE MEA Student Branch. 

A total of 220 students participated in this event. Following the inauguration,  a keynote address was organized by Dr. Sameer S M on ‘How to Crack Campus Recruitment Opportunities?’. Through this session, Dr. Sameer enlightened the attendees on the various steps to crack campus placement opportunities. He gave the participants a step-by-step procedure to improve their performance in any campus placements.

Following that, five workshop sessions were parallelly organized for the participants in the in-demand domains of the industry. These sessions were provided by the top-notch industries in the country. The various tracks that were offered to the participants were are follows; Augmented Reality Filter Development workshop by TutAR, Design, and Development of Power Electronics System workshop by Centre for Development of Advance Computing (C-DAC), MATLAB for Modern Engineers workshop by MathWorks, Electronic Product Design And Development workshop by GadgEon and The World of Brain-Computer Interface workshop by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). These training sessions spanned 10 hours and were organized specifically to cultivate an active learning culture among the participants. Along with that, to engage the participants, a networking session integrated with a treasure-hunting competition was also organized. This competition enabled the participants to build up their connections with their fellow attendees and gave them real-world exposure to teamwork.

On Day 2, along with the workshop session, a talk session on Intelligent Chips with Neuro-Memristive Systems was facilitated by Prof Alex James, Professor of AI Hardware at the School of Electronic Systems and Automation, Dean (Academic) at Digital University Kerala, and the Founding Chair of IEEE CASS Kerala Chapter. Through this session, he provided an overview of the Neuro-Memristive Systems and their possibilities. After the talk sessions, the workshops continued in the respective domains. As part of these workshop sessions, a competition was also arranged on that day for the participants. The winners of these competitions were awarded a prize pool as well. 

After the workshop-based hackathon, a panel discussion was organized by the IEEE YP Kerala Section on 15th October 2022 from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM IST. Prof. Nandan S, Chair of the IEEE Young Professional Kerala Section, initiated this session on the criteria which we need to focus on getting into a company. In his note, he pointed out the need for self-preparation and maintaining good quality communication and body language. He also emphasized the importance of internship and skill development rather than mere academics. Further, he pointed out that projects and certifications also play a significant role in our recruitment to the respective companies.

Following his session, Ms. Pooja Haridas, Jt. Secretary of  IEEE Young Professional Kerala Section, initiated discussion on how to build an effective resume. In her address, she provided a detailed overview of the step-by-step procedure for creating an ideal resume from building skills to presenting them. According to her, what we need to focus on is the description provided by the companies and building a perfect resume for those specifications.

Finally, Mr. Shone Jose, VSAC Malabar Hub IEEE Kerala Section, followed up on what both speakers conveyed. In his note, he presented his views on the employment phase in the coming future and how the pandemic has shaped it. In support of that, he requested everyone to be concerned about placement-related matters since Corona had created a massive decline in employment opportunities.

For Day 3, several technical talk sessions by industry professionals and academicians were organized to upskill the participants with the current industry trends.  As part of this, Dr. M V Rajesh, Professor at the College of Engineering, Chengannur, and the Chair of IEEE Kochi Hub facilitated a session on Fighting Data Bias & Ethical AI – a Collective Responsibility, Dr. K Kesavasamy, Adviser of IEEE EdSoc Kerala Chapter organized a session on Software Engineering in Life, Er. C M Varughese, CEO of Ever Green Energy Technologies, and Chair of IEEE EdSoc Kerala Chapter arranged a session on Setting up an Entrepreneurship,  and Mr. Abhinav R, YP Activities Chair of IEEE Education Society Kerala Chapter facilitated an Experience-Sharing Session regarding his Engineering Life as well. These sessions helped the participants to gain exposure to the industrial, managerial, and career development skills that are crucial for their future.

Finally, with a Closing Ceremony on 16th October 2022 at 3:00 PM IST, the event was wrapped up at the MEA Engineering College, Perinthalmanna. The closing ceremony was blessed with the presence of Dr. K R Suresh Nair, Chair of IEEE India Council & CEO of Design Alpha, Ms. Mini Ulanat, Chair of IEEE Kerala Section, Mr.Gilesh M P, Student Activities Chair of IEEE Kerala Section and Mr. Sabiq P V, Chair of IEEE Malabar Subsection. So overall, all these programs were a grant success and offered attendees opportunities to improve their potential in technical and professional domains. It gave them industrial exposure and professional mentorship in building technical skills and developing their career. A total of 220 participants benefitted from this program.