State-of-the-art high learning centre launched

CHENNAI: A Rs 20-crore worth state-of-the-art high learning centre was inaugurated by Union Chemicals and Fertilizer Minister MK Alagiri at CIPET campus on Monday. Built on par with national and international institutions, the academic block is having ground plus four floors with a built-up area of 6,976 square metres for under-graduate and post-graduate courses, while the human resource development block has a built-up area of 3,199 square metres.K Jose Cyriac, union secretary of Chemicals and Pertrochemicals and president of CIPET, said that the high learning centre would undertake technology support services in the areas of plastic processing, design and development of moulds and dies, plastics testing and quality control for the benefit of plastics and allied services.The centre will also provide platform for excellence in scientific research in the field of polymeric materials and engineering besides network amongst universities, research institutions and industries and facilitating of transfer of technology.The high learning centre also offers four courses — two undergraduate and two post graduate courses. These include BTech and MTech in plastics technology, BE in manufacturing technology and ME in CAD/CAM. It is expected that by the end of 2014, around 1,000 undergraduate and post graduate students will be enrolled in CIPET. The state-of-the art facilities established at the high learning centre include a modern physics lab and chemistry and computer labs besides polymer and chemical engineering lab, strength of materials lab, fluid mechanics lab and non-destructive testing lab among others.Alagiri also laid the foundation stones for girls and boys hostel.