Ghent Workgroup expands presence in India

Established in July 1956, the Regional Institute of Printing Technology started its course curricula with equipment prevalent at that time. Since then, it has been attempting to keep pace with today’s technology and now offers full-time 3-year duration diploma programs in printing technology, multimedia technology and photography. All the programs are approved by the All India Council for Technical Education and affiliated with the West Bengal State Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Skill Development.  

 

Shankhya Debnath, lecturer, Department of Printing Technology, said: ‘We wanted to be part of the GWG because we realized that most print production workflows are now digitized and automated. We are constantly striving to update our curriculum and develop skills in our students that will help them become quality conscious so that they can succeed in such a print production environment.   

 

‘In this direction, we believe that being part of the GWG, which is at the forefront of developing specifications and best practices for PDF exchange, can help guide our efforts in the right direction. Likewise, we hope to be an important stakeholder in the GWG community by providing feedback from employers and print industry professionals to help develop specifications that serve the print community at large. We are honored and proud to be associated with the GWG as an educational member.’   

 

Graduate students in printing technology often specialize in either print production or prepress. Major recruiters are in the packaging printing and publishing industry. Students are introduced to modern color management workflows in print production in the university's laboratories. Quality control parameters and tools are also focused on throughout the 3-year program to help students become well-rounded professionals in the future.   

 

David Zwang, GWG chair, added: ‘We welcome the Regional Institute of Printing Technology of Calcutta as a member of Ghent Workgroup. Print is changing and students are our future. They help envision the new technologies, products and processes and then implement them. Involving them in the research and development work we do at GWG and having them work with us to educate their peers is what we need to ensure a strong and exciting future for print.’