Mangaluru: The National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal, celebrated its 67th Foundation Day on Thursday, commemorating founder Ullal Srinivasa Mallya. Director Prof B Ravi hoisted the institute flag and garlanded Mallya’s statue in the presence of over 200 staff members, students and alumni.Students who excelled in Classes X and XII and children of NITK staff were honoured, while two merit scholarships instituted by alumni of the 1981 batch were presented. Twelve staff members were felicitated for completing 25 years of service.A key highlight was the signing of an MoU between NITK and IIT Dharwad to strengthen academic and research collaboration. The agreement, signed by Ravi and IIT Dharwad director Prof Venkappayya R Desai, covers joint research projects, faculty and student exchanges, industry-sponsored R&D, consultancy, workshops, conferences, publications and patents.Desai, an NITK alumnus from the 1986 MTech batch and chief guest, urged audiences not to fear artificial intelligence. He said institutions should combine human intuition and traditional knowledge with emerging technologies. He also spoke about different types of teachers and cited Swami Vivekananda, Adi Shankaracharya and Gautama Buddha as examples of inspirational educators, encouraging self-reflection and steady growth.Ravi highlighted alumni contributions, and announced the new undergraduate curriculum balancing theory and practical learning will be introduced this month. The director also unveiled plans for an innovation corridor linking the campus beachfront with the highway and said NITK will host the Global Convention 2026 in Dec.Among those present were Air Marshal BU Chengappa (retd), a distinguished alumnus from the 1969 batch, NITK Alumni Association global president Niranjana Mahaballappa, and leaders of alumni chapters from across the country.
