Guwahati: Collaborations with foreign institutions for developing skills in youths of the North Eastern region in the electronics and IT sector and aligning their education with industry needs were mooted during an international conference here on digital technologies, an official release said on Sunday.The importance of international internship and leveraging online platforms and smart classroom concepts for the maximum benefit of the students were also explored during the two-day meet, which concluded on Saturday.The conference targeted a wide range of audience and participants from across the globe covering researchers, academicians and industry professionals, the release said.In his keynote address, Prof Rajeev Ahuja, director of IIT Ropar, underlined the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration, emphasising the collective strength that emerges when diverse expertise converges towards shared goals.During the discussions at the conference organised by the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Karel Sterckx from Bangkok University spoke about collaboration models in Thailand and the varsity's internship programme.He emphasised the importance of international internship programs in exposing students to diverse cultural and engineering perspectives.Sterckx also highlighted the benefits of hosting students from different countries, including India, and the opportunities for collaboration that arise from such exchanges.