The programme starts August 2022
Centre for Interdisciplinary Program (CIP), IIT Hyderabad, in collaboration (IITH) with the LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), is launching a blended Master of Technology (MTech) programme in ophthalmic engineering through their combined expertise in ophthalmic care and engineering and technology from this academic year (August 2022). The collaborative MTech programme aims to bridge the gap between clinicians and the medical practitioner working in Eye care with qualified technologists from related engineering streams. This may be achieved through a training programme that blends essential elements of medical care (ophthalmic care, in this instance) and engineering (optics, biomechanics, and controls engineering, in this instance).
The programme intends to create a pool of qualified Ophthalmic Engineers who could take up the pressing challenges in Eye care and develop technology products. This unique, promising program is expected to create professionals who can take up technology challenges in ophthalmology as a start-up.
This programme is ideal for medical school graduates, ophthalmologists, optometrists, and engineers interested in advancing their careers in areas of technology-enabled eye care and vision science. The program requires the students to complete 52 credits across two years, consisting of two semesters in the first year with 14 credits/semester. In these two semesters, the programme also requires students to complete mandatory courses in communication skills and industry lecture series in the first two semesters, enabling them to become effective communicators and establish contacts with industry leaders. The students are provided with an opportunity to select a few courses from a basket of courses to complete the 14-credit requirement in each semester, constituting 18 core credits in various areas of ophthalmology, vision science, and various engineering aspects in Eye Care and ten credits of electives from the related subject domain. The coursework has both theory and labs and will be taken by the leading academicians from both IITH and LVPEI teams. The third and fourth semesters require the completion of 24 credits (12 credits in each semester) by undertaking a project under the supervision of both the IITH and LVPEI teams in collaboration with the industry partners.
Prof BS Murty, Director, IITH, said, “I am sure this programme would offer an excellent platform for developing new indigenous products in Eyecare, which aligns with the national mission of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. I am confident that this unique programme would nurture a pool of talented ophthalmic engineers who would certainly, advance eye care and work towards the mission of a blindless society.”
Dr Prashant Garg, Executive Chairman, LVPEI, said, “The joint MTech programme with IITH is a welcome collaboration, adding a fantastic dimension to our education programmes and for sky-rocketing technology innovation at LVPEI to a new level.”
Renu John, Chair– CIP, and Dr K Nithyanandan, Program Coordinator of Ophthalmic Engineering, IITH, expressed, “The proposed master’s degree level collaborative training program between LVPEI and IITH is an attempt to successfully bridge this gap and create a pool of qualified Ophthalmic Engineers who could take up the pressing challenges in Eye care and provide a practical solution by applying the right and affordable technology to the broader benefit of the society. The programme aims to create the right ecosystem for the cross-functional engineering and clinical ophthalmology/optometry teams to advance technology-related R&D in eye care.
