TERRE and MIT signs MoU for SCCN

MIT Group of Institutes signs MoU with TERRE Policy Centre for implementing smart Campus Cloud Network (SCCN)​

Pune, 30 May 2017 "Our vision is to mainstream sustainability in all the elements of MIT campuses and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals-SDGs", said Dr. Sunil Karad, Executive Director MAEER's MIT Group of Institutes at the signing ceremony of MoU with TERRE Policy Centre, a not-for-profit environmental organization.

The MoU was signed at Kothrud MIT campus in the presence of Dr. Sunil Karad, Rajendra Shende, Chairman TERRE Policy Centre and former Director UNEP. Prof. Dr. Milind Pande, Project Director, MITSOT, and Dr. Vinitaa Apte, President, TERRE Policy Centre.

The MOU allows MIT group of Institutes to be a part of the global network of university and college campuses called Smart Campus Cloud Network (SCCN). SCCN, brainchild of TERRE Policy Centre, is a skill building initiative that deploys Internet of Things and Big Data Analytics for contributing to Sustainable Development.

"This learning-by-doing initiative will enable MIT group of Institutes to reduce their ecological footprints and achieve the resource efficiency", said Rajendra Shende, Chairman of TERRE and former Director of United Nations Environment – UNEP. It will be a significant contribution to the realization of Smart Cities and Smart India mission unveiled by our Hon. Prime Minister, Narendra Modi", he added.

TERRE would offer 'SmartSense' IoT platform developed and hosted by Ecolibrium Energy, a partner in SCCN. The network would provide information on energy consumption, water consumption, waste management, carbon footprint and air pollution in campus on real-time basis. The guidelines to interpret the real-time data and implement the efficient operations have been developed by TERRE and Ecolibrium.

The project is win-win-win for the campus, for the environment and for the students. The project will not only reduce our energy bills and increase efficiencies related to water and waste management, but will also give students and faculties opportunities to work on smart technology programs and get hands on experience in sustainable development. The R&D led culture at MIT campuses will spur more innovation amongst students once they start getting involved in this project.

"For telecom education institutions, these smart initiatives of Digital India will generate enormous interest amongst students as they readily embrace new technologies", said Dr. Milind Pande, Director of MITSOT.

Rajendra Shende, Chairman TERRE Policy Centre and Former Chairman UNEP said that through our catalytic project of Smart Campus Cloud Network (SCCN), MIT-WPU would deploy Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data Analytics (BDA) through a cloud-based dashboard for real time monitoring of campus utility production and consumption patterns. The cloud platform will enable connectivity to other campuses in India and worldwide to compare and generate positive competition to better the resource efficiency.. The network would provide information on real time monitoring data about its energy consumption with capability of advanced analytics.

Prof. Dr. Vishwanath Karad, Founder-Executive President, MIT Group of Institutions and President World Peace University said that MIT-WPU Kothrud Campus and TERRE Policy Centre are joining hands to celebrate the amalgamation of Science, Spirituality, and Sustainability with an aim to preserve the planet's natural resources for a better future. It is first ever collaboration of the leading academic institution, NGO and private sector for India's sustainable future.

Dr. S. N. Pathan, Former Vice Chancellor, Nagpur University emphasized upon the fact that the money saved through this Innovative Project can be utilized to initiate new projects for research and development amongst students.