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Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani's Work Integrated Learning Programmes (WILP) division became the only Indian institution to be bestowed with an Award in "Lifelong Learning Category" at the prestigious Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Reimagine Education Awards 2023 hosted recently in Abu Dhabi. The WILP division, which received the Bronze Award, is an innovative model of higher education; its degree/certification programmes are designed and developed exclusively for the working professionals (in collaboration with their employers) to address specific learning outcomes.



QS is highly popular among the educators and learners around the world, especially for the impact they have had in collaborating with the latter to change the face of higher education over the years. These awards by QS have been serving as a reputed platform to recognise the pioneers of education across the world, fostering a vibrant community of innovators who are dedicated to redefining learning for future generations.



Future readiness: preparing learners for new and unforeseen challenges

For over a span of more than four decades, the WILP model of BITS Pilani has been helping the professionals across various industries or sectors in gaining a formal degree/diploma/certificate in a discipline that is related to their current role or profession, thereby enabling them with ability to remain relevant and address future challenges as well. The flexibility and seamless access related to students’ participation in lectures, structured self-study, and remote and virtual labs, have also helped the professionals in enhancing their learning experiences even further.



Reflecting on WILP's impact on working professionals, Prof. S Gurunarayanan, Deputy Director, Off-Campus Programmes & Industry Engagement, BITS Pilani, Till date, more than 114,000 working professionals have leveraged BITS Pilani's work integrated learning programmes in key areas, such as computer science and information systems, management, core engineering, and electrical & electronics engineering. I wish to congratulate everyone associated (in one way or the other, both in the past and present for the last 43 years) with BITS Pilani WILP and urge them to take immense pride for the impact they have had in enriching the learning experiences of working professionals and thereby their employability as well.

Delighted with this recognition for the institution, Prof. G. Sundar, Director, Off-Campus Programmes & Industry Engagement, BITS Pilani, said, "BITS Pilani is well known for its several innovations in higher education in science and engineering. The WILP division of BITS Pilani is one such significant innovation, and has been the choice of thousands of working professionals and several industry partners for quality higher education. WILP not only builds formal knowledge, but also helps develop requisite professional skills and competencies, which ensures that the graduates are set on a path of lifelong inquiry and learning. It is indeed immensely satisfying that this has been recognized by a reputed independent organization such as QS through this Bronze award in the lifelong learning category.