K.V. RAMANI ON THE LEVELING POWERS OF EDUCATION “If given a choice, would we pick a pre-planned set meal or go for an à la carte menu? The winner would be the à la carte meal as it allows us the freedom of choice,” says Mr. K.V. Ramani, Founder and Chancellor of Sai University(SaiU), a new upcoming private global university in Chennai. Alluding to a similar theory in the field of education, Mr. Ramani says that students too should be given the freedom to choose what they want to learn without any boundaries or restrictions. “SaiU will provide students with the power of choice,” the Chancellor says. The new university that aims to achieve global eminence through its impressive interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach of liberal education across all its schools and programs – arts, sciences, computing, law, business et al. In an informative and freewheeling chat with Chetan Sharma, Founder, Edumate, an online education portal, Mr. Ramani gets candid about the status of higher education in India, the new National Education Policy (NEP), and how with the right balance, the business of education can be created as a service to mankind. “Education currently is treated as a business model. We at Sai University aim to look at imparting education as a service where knowledge transfer is the ultimate goal. At the same time, it is also important to note that good education is expensive. Striking the right balance between the two is key,” says Mr. Ramani. His vision of Sai University rising to the levels of global eminence is powered by the idea of providing holistic education which is liberal and authentic. “The new generation of Indian youth is driving the growth of today. We need to equip our youth with the right kind of education and resources,” says Mr. Ramani. At SaiU, rote learning is discouraged and students are encouraged to be perceptive to nuances and be open-minded to embrace education and learning as a continuous process that kindle their mind and spirit. A student from Sai University will not only be given the opportunity to gain excellence in their chosen fields of expertise, but also be given a platform to learn a wide range of life skills that are essential in the global stage. As an extension to this idea, as per the experiential education system here, a student doing a major in Computer Science can also take a minor in Music, an option that is not traditionally available in many institutions. At this instance, education becomes a great leveler that serves all students irrespective of their diverse economic and socio-cultural backgrounds, says Mr. Ramani. Stressing that the education sector in India has neither competition nor cooperation, Mr. Ramani says that the new NEP would be a great way to integrate the Indian education system with global ones. Mr. Ramani adds that the NEP will pave way for healthy competition and cooperation thereby making resources available to many more students. Referring to real-life experiences, Mr. Ramani also speaks about how Learning and Earning are connected. “People usually think that the reason for their education is to get a job and get paid. But that is only the beginning. Learning never stops in one’s life. The learnings from school and college leads to an earning job which in turn leads to more learnings all through the cycle of life. Even as we continue to earn, we learn a lot about life and the world, both personally and professionally. I don’t think learning and earning can be separate as they are symbiotic, and this is one such concept we would like our students to embrace and apply.” Mr. Ramani signs off.

Sai University’s Vice Chancellor Dr. Ajith Abraham participated as a keynote Indian speaker at AI Journey 2025 in Moscow, contributing to international discussions on generative AI in healthcare and global AI governance. Vice Chancellor Dr. Ajith Abraham Speaks at AI Journey 2025 in Moscow — Shaping Global AI Discourse 19 November 2025 Sai University is delighted to highlight the participation of our Vice Chancellor, Dr. Ajith Abraham, at the international summit AI Journey 2025 , held in Moscow from 19–21 November 2025 . The three-day event, organized by Sberbank, convened global experts, policymakers, industry leaders, and academics to explore transformative trends in artificial intelligence — from generative AI and business applications to societal impact and governance. Dr. Ajith Abraham was among the keynote Indian speakers on the main panel, delivering a talk on “Generative AI in Healthcare” , contributing India’s voice to pressing global discussions on AI, ethics, innovation, and cross-national collaboration. The presence of prominent global leaders — including Vladimir Putin — underscored the magnitude of the summit, bridging the worlds of technology, policy, and academia. Sai University takes pride in Dr. Abraham’s representation on this global stage, reinforcing our commitment to staying at the forefront of AI research, global collaboration, and forward-looking education. We look forward to bringing these global insights back to our students, faculty, and AI community at SaiU.

WEBINAR ON NEW EDUCATION POLICY IN HIGHER EDUCATION WITH MR.KASTURIRANGAN Here is SaiU’s recent webinar recording on ‘New Education Policy in Higher-Education’ in association with The Hindu. Dr. Kasturirangan, Esteemed Member of the Governing Board, SaiU, Mr. K.V. Ramani, Founder & Chancellor, SaiU, and Dr. Jamshed Bharucha, Founding Vice Chancellor, SaiU, spoke about NEP, how the policy was framed, its advantages and relevance in today’s higher education. Dr. Kasturiragan shares how this is a policy that comes after 30 years, which was very much needed in a fast paced world we live in today. The NEP curriculum is crafted in a way that it covers, social economic issues in our country, help develop intellectual capacities, along with many other faculties such as aesthetics, creativity and technological end. Understanding how there is no one size fits all. There are a certain systems within the policy that are targeting the places which are remote and left behind to hand hold in helping education evolve to a global stage. They debated over NEP’s advantages and boons and banes along with understanding how we at Sai University’s founding year have already implemented the NEP. The university would provide students an opportunity to pick up subjects of their interest in the true spirit of interdisciplinary education. To learn more, watch the complete video here

Vidhyakshaya Kannan, 4th-year SCDS student at Sai University, had her paper ConfReady: A RAG-based Assistant and Dataset for Conference Checklists accepted at EMNLP 2025. The project supports NLP researchers in ethical compliance and reflects Sai University’s commitment to early research engagement and innovation. Sai University Student Vidhyakshaya Kannan’s Paper Accepted at EMNLP 2025 10 September 2025 Chennai, September 2025 – Sai University proudly congratulates Vidhyakshaya Kannan , 4th-year student of the School of Computing and Data Science (SCDS) , on her paper acceptance at EMNLP 2025 (Systems Demonstrations Track) . Her research project, ConfReady: A RAG-based Assistant and Dataset for Conference Checklists , was developed during her internship at the Georgia Institute of Technology under the mentorship of Dr. Sudheer Chava . ConfReady is designed to assist NLP researchers in adhering to ethical compliance requirements when preparing for academic conferences, demonstrating both technical excellence and practical impact. “Vidhya’s achievement exemplifies the spirit of early research engagement at Sai University, where students are empowered to contribute to cutting-edge projects on a global stage,” said a faculty representative. This accomplishment highlights Sai University’s commitment to nurturing student research, innovation, and global academic collaboration , reinforcing the university’s position as a hub for emerging talent in computing and AI research.

About Education Research Interests Major Works Siddharth S. Assistant Professor of Philosophy PhD in Philosophy, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru (University of Mysore), 2021 Siddharth S joined Sai University as Assistant Professor of Philosophy in 2021, before which he completed his doctoral studies at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru. His research interests lie in philosophy of mind, metaphysics, philosophy of science and Indian philosophy. At Sai University, he teaches various courses in philosophy, in addition to Critical Thinking , which is part of the interdisciplinary core curriculum. His research has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of Consciousness Studies , Religious Studies , the European Journal of Analytic Philosophy and the Journal of the Indian Council of Philosophical Research ; and presented at scholarly events organised by the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, Sun Yat-Sen University (Zhuhai), University of Delhi, and the Czech Academy of Sciences among other places. Siddharth is co-founder and moderator of the Indian Philosophy Network , a network for professional

School of Artificial Intelligence Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence 5 Years Apply for this course Apply to Sai University Apply to Sai University Program Details About Major Possible Minor Inter Disciplinary Core Courses Technical Skills Program Structure Academic Calendar Scope for the Program Program Highlights Key Program Outcomes Career and Learning Outcomes Research Opportunities Industry-Relevant Technical Skills Eligibility Fees and Scholarship FAQ's Video Corner Gallery School of Artificial Intelligence Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence Apply Now

About Education Research Interests Major Works Gopinath Karmakar Professor, School of Computing and Data Science Gopinath brings in with him the experience of more than three decades of career as a Scientist at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai focused on safety-critical computer systems for nuclear power plants, encompassing system engineering, requirement analysis, architectural design, detailed design, software development, installation, and commissioning. He is a seasoned engineering researcher with extensive experience translating innovative ideas into practical solutions for real-world problems. He also possesses significant expertise in smart energy management for homes and grids. Dr. Karmakar earned his PhD under Prof. Krithi Ramamritham leveraging his electrical engineering background for multidisciplinary research. A passionate educator, he has taught courses at BARC training school for Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI) M.Tech and PhD students. In addition to his research publications (IEEE Transactions, Real-Time Systems, Elsevier and Tier-I Conferences), he has authored two books: “Development of Safety-Critical Systems: Architecture and Software” (Springer-Nature, 2023) and “SMART Energy Management – A Computational Approach” (World Scientific, 2022), sharing his R&D insights with practitioners.

Dr Steven McDowell Associate Dean, College of Communication & Information, Florida, USA

Prof. Solomon F.D. Paul Professor, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research

Dr. Shriram Ananthanarayanan is the Director of Career Services and Development and Professor of Practice at Sai University, bringing nearly three decades of leadership experience across education, consulting, and information technology. He holds a Doctorate from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and has been widely recognised for his contributions to higher education and leadership development. His accolades include the Global Education Award for Outstanding Leadership, the Asian Education Award for Edupreneur Director, and the Education Icon Award for Outstanding Leadership. He has also been featured among the “Industry Magnets” for his impact and influence across sectors. Dr. Shriram began his professional journey with McKinsey & Company as an Associate Director before transitioning into entrepreneurial and senior leadership roles across higher education and industry. His career spans leadership positions at Chettinad Education Services (Vice President), Ahmedabad University (Director), LMOIS (Head of Operations), Intelligroup Inc. (Senior Director), and ACS Inc. (India Country Head and Head of APAC). At Sai University, Dr. Shriram leads Career Services and Development with a strong focus on industry integration, employability, career readiness, and building meaningful partnerships with organisations across sectors. As a Professor of Practice, he brings real-world perspectives into the classroom, bridging academic learning with industry expectations. Dr. Shriram is deeply committed to mentoring students and shaping career pathways that align academic excellence with professional success. School of Computing and Data Sciences Collapsible text is perfect for longer content like paragraphs and descriptions. It's a great way to give people more information while keeping your layout clean. Link your text to anything, including an external website or a different page. You can set your text box to expand and collapse when people click, so they can read more or less info. View School Dr. Shriram Ananthanarayanan Director – Career Services and Development

Professor Sadagopan is presently a member of the International advisory board of Sai University. He was formerly the Director (President) of IIIT-Bangalore (a Ph.D. granting University). IIIT’s represent a set of new generation universities started in India in the late 90’s with a special focus on IT; IIIT-Bangalore is one of the first such Institutes; as the first Director of IIIT-Bangalore, he is involved in the visioning, planning, and executing the growth of this Institute that is counted as one of the premier Institutes in India. He obtained his MS & Ph.D. Degree from Purdue University, USA in 1979 and BE (Hon) Degree from Madras University, India in 1973. He had taught at IIT Kanpur (1979 to 95) and IIM Bangalore (1995-99) His research interests include OR, Multi-criteria optimization, Simulation, and Enterprise computing. Sadagopan is a Fellow of the UK’s IET (formerly IEE), Computer Society of India, and Institution of Engineers (India). He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and ACM. Sadagopan’s research work has appeared in several international journals including IEEE Transactions, European J of Operational Research, J of Optimization Theory & Applications, Naval Research Logistics, Simulation, and Decision Support Systems. He has won numerous awards that include Fulbright Fellowship (1995), “Champion of humanity” Award of Hindustan Chamber of Commerce (2009), “Rotary Honor of Vocational Excellence” by Rotary Northwest Bangalore District 3190 (2013), Engineering Watch “Campus Preparedness” Award (2015), and Cisco NDTV “Digital Pioneer” Award (2016), BITES Lifetime Achievement Award (2018) and Distinguished Alumnus Award (2019) from the College of Engineering, Guindy, to name a few. Sadagopan consults extensively with some of the largest private & public sector corporations in India, in Computing, Communications, Software, Automotive, Oil, and Power industries as well as the social sector. He is a member of the Board of Directors of several private and public sector corporations; he is also a member of the Board of Studies of several Universities / Trusts. He is a Featured Columnist for Times of India (the world’s largest English Newspaper) and several magazines. School of Computing and Data Sciences Collapsible text is perfect for longer content like paragraphs and descriptions. It's a great way to give people more information while keeping your layout clean. Link your text to anything, including an external website or a different page. You can set your text box to expand and collapse when people click, so they can read more or less info. View School Sadagopan S Former Director, IIIT-Bangalore

Prof. Srinivas Rao Bakshi Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology – Madras, Chennai