About Us » About Mr. Yogesh Kulkarni

Dr. Yogesh Ramesh Kulkarni.
Executive Director
Vigyan Ashram
www.yogeshkulkarniva.blogspot.com

Education:
Bachelors of Mechanical Engineering (B.E), Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration (PGDBA -1996), MA (Distance Education), Ph.D(Educational communication)
Certificate course in computers, Certificate course in German language from MAx Muller Bhavan

Profile:
Since college days, I am involved in various educational activities such as literacy movement and educating slum children.
After Engineering and management education, I worked for a multinational company for 3 years and then decided to join ‘Vigyan Ashram’ to pursue my passion for education.
  • Vigyan Ashram is a center of ‘Indian Institute Of Education, Pune’. It has developed a unique program - ‘Rural Development through Education System (RDES), which integrates ‘Education’ and ‘Rural Development’. The program is implemented in formal schools as well as in non-formal centers. Since 2003, I am heading this unique initiative, which turned many dropouts’ students into entrepreneurs and inventors.
    I have conceptualized and headed replication of ‘RDES’ program in 72 schools in 17 districts of Maharashtra and Karnataka states of India involving more than 6000 students.

  • I am actively involved in movement to use of technology in education. I worked as team leader to develop various educational content in regional languages. Developed many educational CD ROMs in Indian regional languages.

  • I also worked as a project leader to use of ICT for educating nomadic tribes. This project won UNESCO award in the ‘non formal education’ category in 2008.

  • I was also worked on the concept of rural internet kiosk and internet based services for villagers. I am founder director of a company M/S Agrocom Pvt Ltd. (www.agrocom.co.in ) which provides agricultural solution to the farmers.

  • Vigyan ashram hosts the first fab lab in collaboration with MIT (USA) www.cba.mit.edu. I am heading the Fab lab at Pabal since beginning.

  • Received ‘Development marketplace award, 2007’ for $20,000 to develop ‘Human power based lighting solution’ for nomadic tribes.

  • Received ‘Youth to Youth innovation award 2007’ for $10,000 from World bank for establishing ‘Rural entrepreneurs network’.

    Received First prize of £100,000 in Evolve development idea competition constituted by M/S GKN Sinter Metal Ltd.UK in 2009.
Others:
  • Represented Vigyan Ashram in many International and National level seminars on “IT in education” and “Education for Development” topics.

  • Attended International conference on education and appropriate technologies in UK, USA, Norway and S.Africa besides almost all major cities inIndia.
Success of students going through RDES program is continuously increasing my faith in the RDES philosophy. I am working for universalisation of the concept of ‘RDES’ in schools especially in rural and remote areas of India.

Address:
Vigyan ashram, At.Post. Pabal, Tal : Shirur, Dist Pune 412403 ,
Ph :91-02138-292326 91-020-25424580
e-mail : vapabal@gmail.com