Knowledge Versus Skills Dilemma in the Midst of Industry 4.0, Education 4.0, Covid-19 and Beyond

We were in the midst of disruption due to Industry 4.0. Covid-19 has unveiled massively unprecedented havoc to the economy, industry, and education, globally. As such since the arrival of Industry 4.0, several courses related to Big Data, Data Analytics, Industrial Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, 5G, and more have made inroads into colleges, institutes, and universities. That trend is expected to be accelerated due to Covid-19. Then the critical question is “can the reactive Education 4.0 model tune in with insatiable learning demands of knowledge and skills required for industries, institutions, organisations, societies, and nations of the modern localised and globalised world?” Therefore, can such competing colleges, institutes, and universities simply rely on a mere reactionary approach? OR Should they review, rethink, and restructure education system in line with the aspirations of the stakeholders? What macro and micro level changes would be required in the current education system if it were to be designed, redesigned, reformed, and transformed for Industry 4.0, current Covid-19 situation, and beyond? The speaker will share his perspectives and explore potential alternatives for bridging the ever-widening gap. Some of the relevant initiatives of the public and private universities will also be highlighted.

Presenter

Dr. Deepak L. Waikar, (Managing Partner for EduEnergy LLP, Singapore) has been involved in education, training, research and management fields for almost three decades. He has authored/co-authored book chapters, research articles, and policy papers on power, energy, management, and education related topics. He has served on various committees of professional bodies such as Chairman of the IEEE, Power Engineering Chapter, Singapore and Vice-Chair of the IEEE Education Society,

Singapore Chapter. He is a recipient of the IEEE Power Engineering Society’s Outstanding Power Engineers’ Award 2003 and the SP-Green Buddy Award 2004.