The meeting happened at the IIT Alumni Club and was chaired by Maha.
Here is the summary of the meeting.
Session 1: Briefing on activities of FORTESS in various centres – Maha
Maha briefed the participants on the various initiatives done by the different chapters. Some of the key initiatives he explained are:
1. Ramanan and Atal Innovation Mission
2. English E-Teach Project
3. Computer History Museum
Session 2: Update on FORTESS web platform – Ganapthy/Subbu/Param
1. The updates about the usage of the collaboration platform were presented.
a. There is a need for the team to start using the platform as the engagement levels have been very low so far.
b. Members were encouraged to use the platform to communicate and avoid emails for subjects related to Fortess.
2. There was a request to update login procedures on the Collaboration portal home page.
a. This would be done and updated to the members
3. The proposed enhancements to the online Member registration was shared with the team
Session 3: Conceptualising a Computer History Museum(CHM) in India – Maha
We spent an hour discussing the Computer History Museum initiative. Attached are the presentations that formed the basis for the discussions. V.S.Shankar had visited the Museum at the Valley and he added his inputs. The questions debated were:
1. What are the objectives of the Museum, keeping in mind the Indian context?
a. Can this deal with the impact of technology on the lives of Indians, through many programmes such as Aadhar or even Apps?
2. What type of audience does it serve?
a. It will be important to define the audience segment clearly
b. How do we attract different segments- starting from Children to Researchers to Professionals to those interested in history
3. Should this be a virtual or physical or a combination? There were suggestions that concept should span both physical and virtual worlds.
a. We should take advantage of available technology to provide visitors an immersive experience.
b. The Museum should be a hub of activity with an annual calendar of events (example cited was Nehru Planetarium)
c. Can we think of multiple centers connected digitally, each specializing in one aspect/technology/application?
4. Should this be past or future looking? Should we be calling this a Museum, as it has a “past” connotation? One suggestion was Computarium like planetarium
5. Is it a collaborative effort? If so, how do we look at governance so that it continues to be relevant.
a. The project should rope in key players and initiatives in the Indian context who have contributed to the evolution of computer technology/science/application etc (eg. ISRO, Nuclear Corp, Railways, NASSCOM, Aadhaar, IITs, large industrial Groups such as TATA)
b. FORTESS will be a facilitator and take it to the point of designing the concept. Subsequent steps to be decided later
6. There was a recommendation to form a core team comprising people from different centers of Fortess.
a. This team should be tasked initially with coming up with the concept for this initiative and also to define what a Minimum Viable Product should be
b. Should not be an open ended project. The intent should be to get the core concept Live quickly and build incrementally after that Attendees were requested to put their additional ideas in the collaboration part of the portal where a project will be set up for this purpose.
There was certainly excitement on FORTESS taking interest in creating a Computer History Museum in India
Session 4: FORTESS support to NGOs – Discussion – United Way of Chennai Presentation – Archana
United way team presented their thoughts on how Fortess members can support their initiatives. The suggestions was in three areas:
1. Legacy: Idea here is to look at a way to create a legacy for FORTRESS by adopting a cause and making a tangible difference in the selected area
2. Technology: Work on projects which can benefit greatly from technology interventions
3. Skills: The talent, experience and skills available in FORTRESS can add considerable value to the project. A project will be set up in the collaboration portal containing the presentation made by United Way representatives. Members are invited to continue the deliberations there.
Session 5: What can Ayurveda do for our health? P.K.Sivaramakrishnan
Siva spoke about the work he does through his Ayurvedic wellness center in Chennai. He also explained how he has taken up the cause of spreading awareness about Ayurveda. He requested ideas and support from the members for the cause. A project will be set up in the collaboration portal for this initiative presented by PKS. Members are invited to continue the deliberations there.
Session 6: Assisting IIT Alumni in their education initiatives – Ravi and Hema Gopal
Ravi and Hema Gopal explained about the different initiatives done through PALS – Theory to Practice Lectures, Resident Student Workshops, Student Leadership Programs, Internships, InnoWAH, Faculty Development Programs and Industry visits. They requested the support of the Fortess members in doing lectures, mentoring or be part of any of the initiatives they are organising. A project will be set up in the collaboration portal containing the presentations made by Ravi and Hema Gopal. Members are invited to continue the deliberations there.
Session 7: Inviting non-members to join Fortess
Maha invited non-members who attended the meeting on that day to join Fortess. They can do so by filling out the form on the website. The Fortess team will reach out once the form is filled.
