Technology has revolutionized the concept of work today with people sitting in one corner of the planet being able to take up assignments for others located in another corner of the world, Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Vice-Chancellor of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) said.

“We need technology, we need scientists, we need disciplined people to work on issues and the workspace must be multifunctional in nature,” Prof. Nanda said while speaking at a webinar on ‘Future of Work’ conducted by SOA on Monday to celebrate India’s G20 Presidency and as part of the Education Working Group (EWG) in Odisha.

To develop a workforce to meet the future requirement, steps should be taken to ensure foundational literacy and numeracy, especially in the context of blended learning, and make tech-enabled learning more inclusive, qualitative and collaborative at every level, he said.

Prof. Nanda also stressed the need to build capacities and promote life-long learning in the context of the subject ‘Future of Work’.

Prof. Nachieketa K. Sharma, SOA’s Director, International Relations and University Outreach Program, spoke about the different ‘Jan Bhagidari’ program being taken up in all districts of Odisha to highlight India’s G20 Presidency.

SOA had been entrusted with the responsibility of taking up these programs in threed districts—Balangir, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar during April, he said.

Prof. Sharma said the need was to structure the country’s educational system in such a way that it would promote rationale thinking comprising both analysis and synthesis. “We have more book focused students now which has to change as the need is for people who know what to do when the need arises,” he said.

He also opined that the National Education Policy 2020 contained all these possibilities.

Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das, Dean (Students’ Welfare) and Nodal Officer for EWG at SOA introduced the theme.