Overview
Chitkara University, a UGC‑recognised private university in North India, hosted the 9th World Engineering Conference (WECON 2026) on 9–10 October 2026 in Chandigarh. The conference, titled “AI Technologies for Societal and Industrial Transformation,” brought together academia, research laboratories and industry to discuss emerging artificial‑intelligence technologies and their potential impact.
Support and Partnerships
The event was supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST)‑sponsored Technology Enabling Centre at Chitkara University (CU‑TEC). International partnership was provided by HTWG Konstanz – University of Applied Sciences, Germany, facilitating global academic collaboration.
Programme and Speakers
The two‑day programme comprised roughly 15 expert talks delivered by distinguished speakers from premier Indian institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), CSIR‑CSIO and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, as well as professionals from leading technology companies. Topics covered the latest AI developments, real‑world applications, responsible and sustainable AI adoption, and cross‑sectoral opportunities.
International Participation
Delegates from the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany attended, adding diverse global perspectives. The German partner HTWG Konstanz participated as the designated international collaborator.
Key Themes
Discussions emphasized human‑centric, responsible and sustainable AI deployment, identification of emerging trends across sectors, and avenues for collaboration among industry, academia, researchers and technology leaders.
Statements from Leadership
Dr. Madhu Chitkara, President and Co‑Founder of Chitkara University, remarked that the evolution of WECON reflects the need for institutions to continuously adapt to new technologies and societal needs, and that the conference reinforces the university’s commitment to industry‑academia engagement and global partnerships.
Institutional Profile
Chitkara University is a UGC‑recognised, NAAC‑accredited private university with campuses in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in engineering, business, healthcare, pharmacy, design, architecture, hospitality and emerging technology fields. The university highlights over 2,000 campus recruiters, more than 300 international academic and industry collaborations, and rankings in NIRF, QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education.