SPEAKER 2026
Jagat Sesh Challa
Associate Professor, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus
About Talk
The Power of Open-Weight Models for Inclusive Intelligent Tutor
This talk explores how open-weight AI models can make intelligent tutoring systems more accessible, adaptable, and inclusive. It highlights how AI can support personalised learning through approaches such as Socratic learning, gamification, and learning by teaching, while adapting to learners’ pace, needs, and context. The talk also examines how open-weight models enable affordable and locally customizable educational solutions. The key takeaway is that open-weight AI can help democratize access to high-quality, personalised learning at scale.
TRACK: FOSS For Everyone
8th Oct 2026 | Room 1 | Time:12:15-12:45
About Speaker
Prof. Jagat Sesh Challa is presently working as an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani. He completed his Bachelor’s degree – M.Sc. (Tech.) Information Systems (2010), Master’s degree – M.E. Software Systems (2012) and Ph.D. in Computer Science (2019), all three from the Department of CSIS, BITS Pilani. He also worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Ultra-Scale Computing and Information Security (CUCIS) Lab in the ECE Department of Northwestern University, USA (2020). His primary areas of research include Big Data Analytics, Agentic AI for Education, Human-Computer Interaction and AI/ML Applications. He has published 35+ research papers in top-tier conferences and journals and has received grants worth INR 2+ Crores. Presently, he is a core researcher at the Advanced Data Analytics and Parallel Technologies (ADAPT) Lab, BITS Pilani and an active member of GenAI Research Group. He has supervised two PhD students who have completed their degrees, and is currently supervising 7 PhD students.
Prof. Challa also takes great interest in teaching and specialises in fundamental CS courses like Computer Programming, Logic in Computer Science, and Data Structures and Algorithms, for the on-campus students. He also teaches online courses at BITS Pilani Digital for students of B.Sc. Computer Science (Coursera) and B.S. Data Science and AI Programs. As a part of this program, he has received the 2023 Coursera Global Innovation Outstanding Achievement Award for the course Introduction to Programming. He has also taught various courses to students who are working professionals as part of BITS Pilani’s Work Integrated Learning Programmes.
Prof. Challa is also a founding member and is in charge of the BITS Pilani x Postman Innovation Lab at the Rakesh Kapoor Innovation Centre at the Pilani Campus. He also works as an Academic Mentor at BITS Pilani Digital, where he is involved in Program and Curriculum Design, Faculty Recruitment, Instructional Planning, Quality Assurance, and Content Development. He has also developed content for a few courses.