Media Release
Mangaluru, Dec 1: St Joseph Engineering College (SJEC), Vamanjoor, successfully hosted a specialized Management Development Program (MDP) focused on prompt engineering and ai tools for clergy and religious on November 26. The programme, organized by the Department of Business Administration, equipped spiritual leaders with essential skills for leveraging Artificial Intelligence in their work and ministry.
The inaugural function was held on Wednesday, November 26 in the Spoorthi Hall, Academic Block III, marking the formal start of the day-long intensive training. The inaugural session was graced by the presence of Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, bishop of Mangalore and President of SJEC, who inaugurated and presided over the function, emphasizing the importance of embracing technology in today’s mission.
The session commenced with Dr Rio D’Souza, principal, SJEC, extending a warm welcome to the gathering. Other key members of the college administration attending the inauguration as guests of honour included Fr Wilfred Prakash D’Souza, the esteemed director of SJEC, and Fr Kenneth Rayner Crasta, assistant director, SJEC.
The inaugural ceremony concluded with Keith Raymond Fernandes formally proposing the vote of thanks.
Following the inaugural ceremony, the technical sessions commenced with a foundational talk. Dr Melwyn D’Souza, professor and head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), led the first session on the crucial topic, ‘Foundations of AI and Prompt Engineering.’ Dr D’Souza provided participants with a comprehensive understanding of the core concepts necessary for effective engagement with Artificial Intelligence tools.
The programme then transitioned to its practical component with the second session, facilitated by Fr Anil Ivan Fernandes, director of the Canara Communication Centre, diocese of Mangalore. This session, titled ‘Applications of AI in Ministry,’ was conducted in two parts: from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm and, following the lunch break, from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The session moved beyond theory to focus on hands-on implementation.
Fr Fernandes provided participants with practical demonstrations of various AI tools, illustrating how this technology can be leveraged directly for spiritual outreach, administrative efficiency, and organizational development.
The final segment was expertly delivered by Keith Raymond Fernandes, assistant professor in the Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) department and a programme coordinator. This session emphasized practical skills development, focusing on the hands-on application of AI specifically utilizing the NotebookLM platform. Fernandes provided directed guidance to participants through practical exercises, enabling them to effectively harness this specialized tool for organizing and generating content pertinent to their pastoral duties.
At the conclusion of the technical sessions, Dr Prakash Pinto, professor and dean of the MBA Department and a programme coordinator, delivered the vote of thanks for the entire program. In his address, he formally acknowledged and extended gratitude to the resource persons for sharing their expertise, and he highly appreciated all the participants for their enthusiastic involvement and proactive engagement throughout the day-long management development programme.
The MDP was successfully steered by the programme advisor, Prof Lionel Aranha, member governing body, SJEC. Overall coordination was managed by the programme coordinators: Dr Prakash Pinto, professor & dean of the MBA department, Dr Melwyn D’Souza, professor & HOD of the CSE department, and Keith Raymond Fernandes, assistant professor, ECE.
The department of business administration extended gratitude to all the dignitaries, participants, and coordinators for their contributions in making this timely and relevant programme a grand success.
