Anna University's New Mission: How Digital Discipline Aims to Rescue Distracted Students

The initiative places strong emphasis on digital discipline while covering a wide spectrum of competencies required to thrive in modern professional environments.

The programme will be spearheaded by the university’s Centre for University-Industry Collaboration (CUIC), which plays a key role in placements and industry engagement.

CUIC Director K. Shanmuga Sundaram said the initiative is designed to complement academic learning by equipping students with essential life skills and workplace readiness. “While our students are academically strong and possess many industry-required professional skills, we felt the need to train them in competencies that will help them navigate life after campus and perform effectively in fast-paced work environments,” Sundaram said.

University officials said the training aims to address challenges such as excessive social media usage and gaming, which often affect students’ focus, productivity and emotional well-being. At the same time, it seeks to build resilience, communication skills, professionalism and goal-oriented thinking.

A total of 15 thematic areas have been identified for the sessions.

According to G. Shibu, Deputy Director of CUIC, digital discipline will form the core of the programme.

“The sessions are designed to help students regain control over their digital habits while simultaneously building life and workplace skills that truly matter today,” he said.

Industry professionals and successful alumni will be invited to mentor students, ensuring that the training reflects real-world workplace expectations.

To cater to varied career aspirations, the programme will offer specialised tracks, including entrepreneurship essentials -- covering idea generation, feasibility analysis and business models -- and guidance for government career pathways such as UPSC, SSC and TNPSC examinations.

Communication skills will receive special focus. Students will undergo intensive English training covering sentence structure, idiomatic usage and connectors. Additional modules on professional image, body language, email etiquette and mock interviews aim to boost confidence during campus placements.

The initiative will also introduce “super skills for corporate edge”, focusing on concise communication, decision-making, teamwork and higher professional standards, along with management games and leadership mindset development.

Support will also be provided for resume building, portfolio creation and LinkedIn profile optimisation. The programme was earlier conducted as a five-day pilot for students admitted under the 7.5 per cent government school preferential category and received positive feedback.

Sessions will now be held every Saturday on campus, beginning with second-year students. The university is also exploring corporate social responsibility funding to support the initiative.

- IANS