Jun 2015
Sowed our Vision
Our Vision
Our vision is to create ethical problem solvers and fearless leaders who transform the world through advances in science and technology. By creating an environment where interdisciplinary academic pursuits and cutting-edge research take place within a framework of humanistic values, Plaksha University seeks to emerge in coming years as an institution of choice for exceptional students and faculty.
The academic vision is reflected across three pillars: reimagining engineering education; enabling a research innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem, and addressing Grand Challenges in India and the world.
Our Name: Plaksha is the name of a ficus tree, which grows in India. Indian scriptures state that the River Saraswati, synonymous with learning, originated from a 'world-tree' called Plaksha, which grew at the foothills of the Sivaliks. The name 'Plaksha' therefore reflects the idea of the university as a tree, from which a river of learning flows endlessly, constantly renewing itself and nurturing everything that it touches.
“Reimagining engineering education”
Dr. S. Shankar Sastry, former Dean of Engineering (2007-18) and Professor of Electrical and Computer Science at UC Berkeley; Member of National Academy of Engineering (NAE), speaks to Vineet Gupta, Co-Founder of Plaksha University and MD of Jamboree Education, on how higher education is transforming around the world, the need for a new paradigm and the opportunity for a greenfield technology university in India.
Academic Advisory Board
The vision is being guided by eminent academicians and thought leaders across the world.
Founding Group
Co-Founded by over 40 business leaders and technology entrepreneurs across five countries.
Collaborations
The 20th century was a time of change, but 21st Century is going to be a time of dramatic change. Our University needs to be agile and fast moving enough to adapt continuously to this change.
India intrinsically has a lot of potential but we have not been able to unleash this potential. And all of us who have come together for Plaksha want to make our own little contribution to that journey on which India has already embarked. And eventually it is education which can have a huge multiplier effect on the country and economy.
I hope that Plaksha will produce ethically grounded well rounded individuals with a bias for action and apply their world class knowledge of science and technology to make India and the world a better place. I am glad to contribute to this extraordinary effort to create the pre-eminent institution of its kind in India for the world.
We have very few Universities which combine humanities with science, which link really well with industry, which help India solve some of the big issues India has, say in healthcare, water shortages, or environment. At Plaksha, we want to produce leaders who love and want to tackle these problems with a great passion.
We want to be an innovation hub for the East and create future Unicorns of the world. Institutions take 40-50 years, we are at a very interesting stage in India’s evolution where we could do it in 10-20 years. We have to keep our heads down in execution to make that happen.
I am particularly enthused by some of the dimensions of Plaksha – this institution will focus on innovation, it will be real-world oriented and emphasize experiential learning – I think these are very important for a high quality technology institution for tomorrow.
One of the reasons I became involved in advising this new Technology University is exactly the fact that it is starting from a blank sheet of paper, on imagining what an engineering education could be, and how it connects to its local community and local industry. It’s a tremendous opportunity for an educator to be able to bring in the ideas that we know would be very helpful and effective but are very hard to implement in existing institutions.
Plaksha is a much needed effort in India. Its approach of cross-functional hands-on education combined with emphasis on soft skills is a great way to prepare students for entrepreneurship and leadership in technology companies. The applied research program further enhances that potential as it will enable students to bring unconventional solutions to hard problems at scale - opening up opportunities to create new industries. I am excited to be a part of the effort having seen the impact of similar approaches in universities like Stanford and its resulting impact in the Silicon Valley.
Technology is both a disruptor, cause and a solution to many Grand Challenges. The question is how best to train students for tackling these kind of challenges in the future. It has to be something with a very interdisciplinary approach, tech-savviness, an ability to adapt because technology keeps changing. This is the future of engineering education.
50 acre campus near Chandigarh Airport
Plaksha University is spread over 50-acres and is close to the Chandigarh International Airport. The campus is being designed by New York-based architecture firm, Plan A.
Phase 1 of the campus will be complete by 2021 and take in 1,000 students. By 2035, we will have 8,000 students on campus.
Rollout Plan
JUN 2018
Launched ‘Young Tech Scholars’, a High School Summer Program
FEB 2019
Unveiled Campus Foundation Stone
AUG 2019
Launch Plaksha Tech Leaders Fellowship in partnership with UC Berkeley
JUN 2021
Welcome our first UG and Masters cohorts on campus
Jun 2015
Sowed our Vision
Jun 2018
Launched ‘Young Tech Scholars’, a High School Summer Program
Feb 2019
Unveiled Campus Foundation Stone
Aug 2019
Launch Plaksha Tech Leaders Fellowship
Jun 2021
Welcome our first UG and Masters cohorts on campus