It has been sunny for the past couple of weeks of late September. A month that ICTions began by celebrating Onam is going to witness the result of another month-long preparation on the 30th. Hopefully, the event goes well as bright as the sun’s rays which welcome us every day in the morning.

Every year the ICT Academy of Kerala (ICTAK) conducts its flagship annual events  – ICSET and Techathlon. Techathlon 2022, a technological marathon, is exclusively dedicated to college students across Kerala. Since its inception, the yearly technical skill competition has drawn a sizable number of participants, with each year’s theme serving as its focal point. Along with Techathlon, the International Conclave on Skills, Engineering, and Technology, well known as ICSET,  has also been reverberating in the workspace of ICTAK.

ICSET- A Brief

ICSET began in 2016, brings distinguished leaders and professionals from science, technology, business, government, and social development together and discusses diverse fields based on a relevant technical topic. The conclave follows the specific theme in its entirety, with panel discussions, speaker sections, paper presentations, workshops, and student engagement activities.

Booming since 2016

‘Shifting Sands: Insights-Driven India’ was the theme of the first-ever ICSET held in 2016. It witnessed the participation of 250 delegates. Learning from the successes and the shortcomings, ICTAK conducted the second edition of ICSET in 2017, where 300 participated in various events related to the theme, ‘4IR: Promises & Perils of Next Gen’. Following the heavy rainfall and landslides across the state in 2018, ICSET discussed ‘Rebuilding a New Kerala’ where 500 participants actively contributed their valuable ideas for rebuilding their home state. In 2020, 660 participants took part in ICSET based on the theme ‘IR 4.0 in Action’. However, following the pandemic and the protocols, in 2021, ICSET was in virtual mode and was based on the theme ‘Leading the New Normal’. The sessions encompassed all the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and how we tackled the dilemma and potentially thrived during that time. Also, the conclave discussed the innovative technological changes that arose in that context.

ICSET 2022 ‘Metaverse: Reimagining the Future’ loading…  

The 2022 edition of ICSET will take off on September 30th at the CIAL Trade Fair and Exhibition Center in Kochi. ‘Metaverse-Reimagining the Future’ will be the theme of the sessions. Mr. M.C. Dathan, Scientific Advisor to the Chief Minister of Kerala and former director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC) and Padma Shree Awardee, will open the conclave.

The conclave is prominent in the current technological revolution because of the market’s ongoing influx of cutting-edge innovations. Since Facebook announced that it is changing its name to Meta and intends to build a highly advanced ‘Metaverse’ for users, the terms Meta and Metaverse have gained traction. As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, our perspective on the world has shifted. We now live in a world dominated by virtual and augmented realities. Coming this year,  ICSET will include panel discussions, speaker sessions, and paper presentations on topics related to the theme ‘Metaverse: Reimagining the Future’.

The Metaverse experience

Panel discussions on topics like ‘Future of Jobs’ and ‘Future of Technology,’ as well as individual conversation sessions with speakers, workshops, and student engagement activities will nourish the conclave. It will also provide a bird’s eye view of numerous breakthroughs occurring in the fields of skills, engineering, and technology, concerning the advancements taking place in the country.

The metaverse is a virtual and augmented reality-created environment. It simulates a real-world environment where people can play, socialize, and shop. Simply put, we must experience it for ourselves to comprehend it. Recognizing this, ICTAK, in collaboration with Sinergia Media Labs, will host a Metaverse Experience Zone at ICSET 2022, allowing delegates to experience the magic of the metaverse. 

Speakers  and sessions

The sessions will feature well-known figures and respected professionals from science, technology, business, government, and social development. Dr. Prahlad Vadakkepat (Associate Professor, National University of Singapore) Mr. Tony Thomas (Chairman, ICTAK), Mr. Muhammad Ameen (CEO, ABC Coders’), Mr. Jaisan Sam (Associate Developer, Band II (AI ML), Acabes International Pvt. Ltd.), Mr. Cyril John Varghese (SOC Engineer L1, Eynetech Services Pvt.Ltd.) are a few of the dignitaries who will participate in the conclave. In addition, industry representatives from LinkedIn, TCSion, EY etc. will also take part in multiple sessions.

Mr. Dinesh Thampi, Vice President of TCS and Prof. Rajasree M.S, Vice Chancellor of Kerala Technological University, will deliver the presidential and valedictory address in the concluding session. Along with Techathlon 2022 winners, ICT academy’s industry and academic partners will receive awards and certificates of recognition. 

Panel discussions will focus on the ‘Future of Technology,’ ‘ICTAK Experience,’ and ‘Future of Jobs.’ The speaker session will include discussions on ‘VCing the VConsol Way,’ ‘Coding Young,’ and ‘The Reminiscence of INS Vikrant.’

The program has given preference to the students and faculty of premium member colleges. For the rest of the world, the sessions will be streamed live on our YouTube channel. Stream link: https://tiny.one/icset-22-live

Reality never ceases to amaze us. When we live in the moment or are fully present in actuality, we may perceive unreal events as being more actual. We can all hope for a future in which everyone can experience a real-world emulated via Metaverse without the constraints of borders and limits.