Chennai-Pune May 2021: “Our  campus in Chennai is like  a small city and our aim is to transform that small city to smart city”, declared  Prof. C. Muthamizhchelvan, Vice-Chancellor, SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST). He was speaking after signing a Memorandum of Understanding  with TERRE Policy Centre, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs) . “By collaborating with TERRE we would  fulfil our ambition of making all our students and faculty future-ready and SDG-Ready. That's what I mean by smart !”, he added. 

SRMIST, a deemed university,  is an  active member of a network of Higher Educational Institutes, called   Smart Campus Cloud Network (SCCN),  launched by TERRE Policy Centre in 2017. The network is supported by UNESCO-Paris and India’s Ministry of Education through All India Council of Higher Technical Education ( AICTE) and University Grant Commission ( UGC). This  digital network of nearly 350+ universities and colleges ( 7 from abroad)  promotes the practical activities in the campus that contribute towards  United Nations SDGs. Thus SCCN makes campus as laboratory for SDGs. The network promotes ‘learning by doing’ within the campus.

The network of universities encourages the students and the faculties to share the experiences of the practical projects related to SDGs in the campus. The projects deploy the digital technologies like IoT (Internet of Thing), AI (Artificial Intelligence), Cloud-networking, Machine-to-machine learning and Block Chain. The projects like Energy efficiency,  harnessing  of renewable energy, waste to energy, zero-waste, green buildings, smart-grid, healthy sanitation, e-waste management, air pollution, zero-emission transport, conservation of biodiversity ban on single use plastic, water conservation and water use efficiency, Carbon Neutrality, Sustainable Farming, digital agriculture among others are undertaken in the campus. Ideation and research on SDGs are also encouraged in the campus. Importantly the results of the practical work in the campus is shared across the universities in the world through digital cloud dashboard that TERRE has developed. 

Apart from UNESCO other partners of SCCN are GORD ( Gulf Organisation of Research and Development) in Qatar, and several NGOs  are associated  partners. TERRE also works closely with ECOSOC, UNEP, IUCN and UNFCCC that have accredited TERRE with consultative status . 

“Through SCCN we aim to mainstream United Nations Global Goals ( SDGs) in the education system where young minds are moulded”, said Dr Rajendra Shende, Chairman of TERRE Policy Centre and former director of UNEP.  “The MoU has overarching objective of skill development of the students for implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including making the campus Carbon Neutral,” he added. 

SRM-IST is a leading higher educational and research institution having gained international reputation in various fields and has evolved a comprehensive student-centric learning approach. SRM-IST has also signed the Carbon Neutrality Pledge, “Not Zero- Net Zero Pledge” designed and monitored by TERRE under SCCN. 

SRM-IST will be South-India’s  Regional Hub of Smart Campus Cloud Network (SCCN). TERRE Policy Centre through Smart Campus Cloud Network (SCCN) will provide overall guidance and mentoring to SRM-IST on United Nations SDGs and Climate Change issues 

The success-stories will be showcased on network platform including Discussion Fora on its web site sccnhub.com. The progress of the activities would be monitored using smart technologies and can be visualised using cloud platform and real-time dashboard. The partnership with business, government and civil society would be the key axis around which this network will flourish. ‘Learning by Doing’ and ‘Accelerating by Sharing’ would be the key mantras that TERRE and SRMIST would be practicing to train the students for the carbon-neutral future.

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Note for editors:

TERRE Policy Centre is a non-profit, non-partisan and independent organization dedicated to sustainable solutions to our developmental imperatives. TERRE also is the abbreviation for ‘Technology, Education, Research and Rehabilitation for the Environment.’ TERRE strives to reach all strata of society, particularly the young generation and people at the bottom of the pyramid with capacity building tools on energy and food security. Its motto is: "To think is good but to act is better”. https://terrepolicycentre.com

Smart Campus Cloud Network (SCCN) facilitates colleges and universities to mainstream the future policy- makers and policy-implementers in implementing the SDGs by promoting sharing of the information on transformative actions undertaken by students and faculties in the campus. More importantly, it encourages to deploy the digital technologies like IoT (Internet of Thing), AI (Artificial Intelligence), Cloud-networking, Machine-to-machine learning and Block chain for optimum use of energy, water in campus and catalyse effective waste management, sustainable transport, air pollution and nature conservation within the campus. sccnhub.com

SRMIST is one of the top-ranking multidisciplinary university in India with over 52,000 students and more than 3200 faculty across all the campuses. SRMIST is accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with "A++" the highest grade and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has placed it under the category "I" and also under section 12 (b) which entitles government funding for research. SRMIST   has a healthy approach to sustainability with social, economic, and environmental principles in place for nearly a decade. Institute's main goal is to "GREEN THE GLOBE" by reducing carbon emissions in the atmosphere and preventing global warming and ozone depletion. See https://www.srmist.edu.in