Open Source Awareness Seminar: Empowering Students with FOSS

The FOSS club, the School of Computing and Data Science, organized an Open Source Awareness Seminar on 22nd December 2025 at MNS Block, Room No. 516. The seminar was scheduled from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The event was planned as part of the school’s initiative to expose students to the world of open source technologies and their growing importance in education and industry.

The seminar was aimed at creating awareness among students about Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and its role in skill development. It focused on helping students understand what open source means, how it differs from proprietary software, and why it is widely adopted across the globe.

The seminar was coordinated by Assistant Professor T. Ramya, with Ms. Chengamma Chitti, Assistant Professor from the Department of Data Science, serving as the resource person. A total of 50 students participated in the program. The participants showed keen interest throughout the session, actively engaging with the speaker and responding enthusiastically to the examples and demonstrations. Their involvement reflected their curiosity and eagerness to learn more about open source platforms.

The activity was conducted in an interactive manner, with the resource person explaining the importance of open source software in simple terms. Students were introduced to popular tools such as Linux, Python, GitHub, and LibreOffice. The seminar also covered the advantages of open source, including free usage, flexibility, security, and strong community support. Practical insights were shared on how students can contribute to open source projects, along with information about licenses and global programs like Google Summer of Code and Hacktoberfest. The way the seminar was delivered made the session both informative and engaging.

The key takeaways for the participants included increased awareness about FOSS, its benefits, and its relevance in today’s world. Students gained practical knowledge about installing and using open source tools, and they understood how contributing to open source projects can enhance their skills and career prospects. The seminar encouraged them to adopt open source tools in their academic work and to explore opportunities for global collaboration.

At the end of the program, the organizers expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the resource person and the participants. They appreciated the active involvement of the students and assured them that more workshops and training sessions would be organized in the future to strengthen their skills in open source technologies.