Microsoft launches 'Academia Accelerator' programme

Hyderabad: Microsoft today announced the launch of the Microsoft Academia Accelerator, a new programme aimed at building a deep and long-term association between industry and academia.

Microsoft, in collaboration with the faculty at 10 leading Indian engineering colleges, will aim to enhance the Computer Science curriculum in selective areas and foster even greater student-driven innovation and entrepreneurship, Vinod Anantharaman, Head of Business Management, Microsoft India (R and D), said in a press conference.

"India produces some of the world’s finest engineering talent. Much of this talent gets started on their journeys at our top engineering colleges," Anantharaman said.

"By adding a layer of cutting-edge industry know-how on top of the existing Computer Science curriculum, the Academia Accelerator programme aims to expose students to critically important technology trends and practices earlier, during their formative years, thereby preparing them with vital skills and experiences that will enrich their careers and fuel innovation and impact from India," he said.

The programme currently has two main components - a series of workshops that span a wide spectrum of topics relevant to the modern-day high technology industry, and a series of student hackathons which give all students at these campuses an opportunity to work collaboratively in team environments to build modern, real-world applications that leverage the latest Microsoft platforms including Mobile and Cloud, he explained.