RMIT University organizes ‘Future of Work Talks’ in Sri Lanka
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- Winner from the Raffle draw received an Ipad from RMIT
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- Question & Answer Session with RMIT Key Speakers
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- Professor Jhon Thangarajah Artificial Intelligence Associate Dean, Computer Science and Software Engineering
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- Mr. Tom Giord Assistant Director International Recruitment at RMIT University
RMIT is ranked in the top 1 percent of universities globally, with an international reputation for excellence in technology, design and enterprise. As a progressive university that always has the best in mind for its students, RMIT University organised a series of symposium ‘Future of Work’ talks in Colombo, during the first week of November.
It is evident that new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Information Technology (IT) are creating a clear disruption in the world of work. In its endeavour to reinforce how the university prepares its students for work and life of the future, three accomplished speakers took to the stage at BMICH on the 6th of November.
The speakers were Mr. Chaminda Ranasinghe, the Chief Marketing Officer at RMIT; Professor John Thangarajah, Artificial Intelligence Associate Dean, Head of Computer Science and Software Engineering at RMIT; and Mr. Dharshan Shankavaram, the Executive Vice President of CapGemini.
A Sri Lankan who schooled at Royal College before migrating for his higher education, Chaminda Ranasinghe is an accomplished leader with 20 years of expertise in transforming organizations across the globe.
According to him, the purpose of organising the ‘Future of Work’ talks is to encourage discussion and drive thought leadership in areas that RMIT University focuses on. As the Marketing Lead, his job is to encourage academics to take those thought leadership pieces into the market and encourage students to think about these disruptions and the future of their careers. Driving conversation was the core purpose of the program.
He also spoke about RMIT’s Work Integrated Learning Model, which is a core part of what the university promises. Students have to do an industry placement in an organization as part of their curriculum. So they apply what they learn, as they learn it, in a real organization. While nothing guarantees you a job, this experience better places a student in a job once they get it. So once you’re done with your course, you’re equipped to start work immediately.
Professor of Artificial Intelligence, John Thangarajah calls out that “AI will create more job opportunities but we need to be skilled in order to be ready for them. Now is the time to understand and prepare for these opportunities .”
Speaking to us, he said that the objective of the event was to provoke thought. People in the current workflow should start thinking about what their jobs will look like in 5 years, and reskill themselves accordingly. Most importantly, the younger generation as they complete their primary education has to think about embedding the skills that the future will require.
The way we work has changed, and at the forefront of this change is technology. One of the best ways to prepare for the inevitable is by putting yourself in different environments. Travel if you can, spend a day in an organization that’s completely different from yours. The things you will learn will help you adapt to changes as they come. It’s important that you learn teamwork, collaboration, communication and working with humans, since humans can be difficult. You must have a broad range of skills.
You need to learn how to learn. People say that with automation, jobs will be lost. I say they will be displaced instead. Jobs like Cyber Security Engineer, Drone Engineer, Human AI Designer, will soon come to exist if they don’t already. Positions like Accountants are more susceptible to change. This does not mean that you shouldn’t continue studying them. After your degree, the kind of job you will do is not what is done today. That’s all it is.
Dharshan Shankavaram is globally responsible for overseeing and building up CapGemini’s Digital Customer Experience delivery, IP and portfolio of Digital Customer Experience.
Speaking about how technology is causing industries to evolve, which therefore directly affects our lives, Dharshan highlighted that there is an information overload. By streamlining and determining what it is that a customer wants, industries can better adapt themselves to produce a quality product that is in demand. Using AI and IT, industries can now give a better customer experience online, using algorithms to sense what the customer needs and then conveying the look and feel of the actual product so they can make a decision.
With time, skills that will be harder to replace are the ones that are more human. Emotional intelligence, decision making, innovation. These are things that are innately human.
Understanding this, RMIT prepares its students to face the ever evolving world of work by incorporating a practical aspect into their curriculum. Tom Gifford, the Assistant Director of International Recruitment highlighted that RMIT provides students with the opportunity to gain supplementary credentials while completing their selected program. He advises that students make the most of this, so they are better equipped to adapt to the evolving world of work.
Reshmi Dutta, the Regional Manager and in charge of recruitments from Middle East, Africa and South Asia, points out that it is important that students consider what their aspirations are, before choosing a destination and university. You need to plan ahead.
A common theme that was expressed by all speakers was that disruption to the way we work is definitely coming, and you need to be prepared for it. The only way to prepare is by learning how to learn and by gaining as many skills for yourself as you can. The expectation is that in the future, you will have many jobs over a lifetime, in many domains.
Ayeshni Wickramasinghe