UPES and Salesforce Bridge Context Gap in AI Education

The growing demand for AI talent has created a new challenge in education: providing students with the context to apply AI, rather than just teaching them its underlying principles. According to Prof. (Dr.) Abhishek Sinha of UPES, traditional computer science curricula focus on knowledge, but neglect the context required for real-world applications.

The university has partnered with Salesforce to create an AI-integrated B.Tech program that addresses this gap through experiential and participatory learning. The program combines academic learning with hands-on exposure to enterprise technologies and AI platforms.

Sridhar Hariharasubramanian, Senior Director of Salesforce India, emphasizes the need for students to understand not just coding skills but also data, business processes, workflows, and governance when building enterprise AI applications.

The program's 'Triple C' model - co-create, co-deliver, and take students from classroom to corporate - includes a co-curated data sciences specialisation, faculty training, and a centre of excellence focused on agentic platforms. This approach aims to equip students with the skills required for real-world AI applications.

Responsible AI has become an essential aspect of the curriculum, with a focus on governance and explainability. The program aims to produce graduates who are not only technically capable but also understand the implications of their work in the context of enterprise decision-making.