Sikkim Colleges To Get AI Training Initiative As Education Department Partners With Google
Sikkim Education Department and Google will collaborate to promote Artificial Intelligence in higher education, with faculty members across 15 government colleges and Khangchendzonga State University expected to benefit from AI-focused training.
Sikkim Colleges To Get AI Training Initiative As Education Department Partners With Google
Sikkim Colleges To Get AI Training Initiative As Education Department Partners With Google
The Sikkim Education Department and Google have announced a collaboration to promote the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education. The initiative is expected to focus on strengthening the digital capabilities of faculty members and training them to use AI tools in teaching and learning.
Sikkim Education Minister Raju Basnet chaired a meeting on October 6 with officials of the Sikkim Education Department and representatives of Google at his chamber in Tashiling Secretariat, Gangtok. The meeting focused on strengthening the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies in the state’s higher education sector.
The higher education faculty will be trained under the Google AI Educator Series, a professional learning programme designed to help educators develop practical AI skills and use tools such as Gemini and NotebookLM.
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Integration of AI In Classroom
According to a press statement issued by the Sikkim Education Department, the initiative will be implemented across 15 higher and technical government colleges and Khangchendzonga State University.
The collaboration is aimed at supporting the integration of AI into classroom teaching, improving teaching practices and creating future-ready learning experiences for students.
Sikkim Education Minister Raju Basnet welcomed the collaboration and highlighted the importance of adopting emerging technologies to strengthen the state’s education ecosystem.
The department said the initiative will help educators build digital skills and adapt to the changing requirements of higher education. The collaboration is also expected to give faculty members greater exposure to AI-enabled tools that can support teaching and academic work.
The partnership was formalised through the signing and exchange of a Statement of Intent (SOI) between the Higher Education wing of the Sikkim Education Department and Google.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary Sandeep Tambe, Special Secretary Ujjwal Rai, Joint Director Tshering Yangchen Bhutia and representatives from Google. The officials discussed ways to strengthen the use of AI and digital technologies across the state’s higher education institutions.
What Is Google AI Educator Series?
According to Google for Education, the Google AI Educator Series provides free AI literacy training for educators across K-12 and higher education. The higher education track includes short, self-paced sessions that generally take around 30 to 45 minutes.
The programme covers three broad areas – foundational understanding of AI, pedagogical applications and administrative applications. For higher education faculty, the training focuses on practical ways to use Gemini to support teaching, improve learning experiences and streamline academic or administrative work.
Google also says the series includes practical exposure to tools such as Gemini for Education and Gemini Notebook. The training is designed not only around specific Google tools but also around AI literacy, critical thinking and responsible use of AI in education