Centurion University leads statewide push for innovation with landmark IDE Workshop for education leaders

THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU    

BHUBANESWAR, NOVEMBER 22, 2025

Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha, has taken a major stride in strengthening the state’s innovation landscape by hosting an intensive two-day workshop on Innovation, Design, and Entrepreneurship (IDE), aimed at empowering key education leaders across Odisha. Conducted on November 20–21, 2025, the workshop was organised in collaboration with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC), with expert guidance from the Wadhwani Foundation and seamless coordination by the university’s Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE).

The inaugural session set the tone for the high-impact programme, featuring a special address by Chief Guest Dipak Ray, Guest of Honour Yogesh Wadhawan, and a thought-provoking keynote by Prof. Shyama Rath, Member Secretary of AICTE. Prof. Rath reiterated AICTE’s unwavering commitment to strengthening innovation culture through capacity-building initiatives tailored for educators and administrators across the nation.

Leadership from Centurion University — President Prof. Mukti Kanta Mishra, Vice Chancellor Prof. Supriya Pattanayak, and Pro Vice Chancellor Prof. Ajay Kumar Nayak — underscored the need to deeply embed innovation, design thinking, and entrepreneurial learning within school education. They emphasised that such interventions are aligned with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promotes experiential learning and creativity at all levels.

The workshop brought together 70 participants, including District Education Officers (DEOs), Additional DEOs, and representatives from SCERT, OSEPA, DIET, and other key state education institutions, creating a robust platform for collaborative learning. Technical experts from the Wadhwani Foundation, Shaik Waseem and Purabee Purnasha Mishra, delivered engaging sessions that offered comprehensive insights into innovation capacity-building, design thinking methodologies, and strategies to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among students and educators.

Participants engaged in hands-on activities, immersive design-thinking exercises, case-based discussions, and group ideation tasks, exploring practical ways to integrate innovative approaches within school ecosystems. The sessions highlighted actionable methods to foster creativity, problem-solving abilities, and student-led innovation, ensuring that schools evolve into vibrant hubs of learning and experimentation.

A key focus of the event was the vital role of Innovation and Incubation Centers in guiding student projects and supporting early-stage entrepreneurial initiatives. The discussions shed light on how such centers can significantly contribute to building a resilient and future-ready innovation ecosystem across Odisha.

The workshop concluded with a valedictory session addressed by Birendra Korkara, Director of Secondary Education, Government of Odisha, who shared strategic perspectives on driving innovation-led reforms in the school education sector. His address encouraged stakeholders to adopt transformative practices that can reshape learning environments and empower students to become creators and problem-solvers.

The event was effectively coordinated by Dr. Harish Chandra Mohanta, SPOC from Centurion University and Head of the ECE Department, who ensured the smooth execution of all sessions and activities.

With its successful completion, the workshop marked a significant milestone in strengthening leadership capacity, fostering inter-institutional collaboration, and advancing Odisha’s education ecosystem through a robust innovation and entrepreneurship framework.