KOCHI: From tackling civic woes to helping senior citizens connect digitally, students of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) are turning into tech innovators through the university’s ‘Earn While You Learn’ initiative.
The programme, which allows students to gain hands-on experience while developing real-world solutions, has led to two notable projects — JalGeo Collect for the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) and a chat application for senior citizens developed for a Kochi-based startup, Senior Adventures.
“The apps were developed with mentoring from alumni and faculty. The idea is to upskill students while encouraging them to create practical, technology-based solutions,” said Sasi Gopalan, coordinator of the Equal Opportunity Cell (EOC), which anchors the initiative.
The Earn While You Learn model connects students, alumni, and teachers in a network that identifies social and civic challenges and addresses them through collaborative innovation. Among the key outcomes is JalGeo Collect — a GIS-based mobile application that helps KWA monitor and record its network of assets, including pipelines, valves, treatment plants, and sewer lines.
The app ensures accurate, real-time collection, and management of water and sewerage infrastructure data. It has already been piloted in Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad, where Cusat students trained KWA field workers to use it effectively.
The second project, a chat app exclusively for seniors, is being built in partnership with Senior Adventures under the Kerala Startup Mission. With a project cost of Rs 5.9 lakh, the app aims to create a safe, inclusive space for senior citizens to connect, learn, and socialise online.
“Students collaborate with alumni to design and refine ideas through workshops, hackathons, and pitching sessions,” said Varsha Shaheen, a recent graduate who worked on the projects. “We identify real-world needs and develop tools to address them.”
The Earn While You Learn programme has also attracted industry partnerships. EOC recently signed an MoU with Geojit Financial Services, which provided Rs 75,000 as remuneration to the first batch of students.