Unveiling the “Virako Smart Assistant”: A New Step Toward Smartening Educational Services
The “Virako” smart assistant was designed, developed, and launched by a technology-based unit hosted at the Kermanshah University of Technology’s incubator center, with the aim of enhancing the quality of educational services, facilitating access to information, and providing intelligent responses to student inquiries.
According to the Public Relations Department of Kermanshah University of Technology, this system leverages modern artificial intelligence technologies and a university-specific knowledge base to answer questions regarding bylaws, academic regulations, and internal university guidelines. The responses are formulated based on official documentation, providing students, faculty members, and staff with rapid, round-the-clock access to academic information.
Engineer Mohammad Hossein Shahsavari, head of the “Virako” development team, commented on the system’s inception: “The idea for this smart assistant stemmed from our own experiences as students and the observation of the high volume of inquiries directed at the academic affairs office. Students often faced uncertainty and had to make multiple visits to get answers to academic questions, while academic staff spent a significant amount of time addressing repetitive queries. We sought to design a system that could handle this process with greater speed, accuracy, and ease.”
Highlighting the system’s technical structure, he added: “Virako was developed using state-of-the-art AI technologies and a proprietary knowledge base comprising Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology bylaws, academic regulations, and internal university guidelines. The system is capable of providing users with documented, official-source-based answers at any time of the day or night.” The manager of the Virako development team highlighted the reliability of the system’s responses as one of its key features, noting that the design ensures answers are based solely on credible academic sources, allowing users to utilize the information with greater confidence. Furthermore, the system includes a mechanism for the continuous updating of its knowledge base, ensuring it always operates in accordance with the latest regulations and guidelines.
Pointing to the full localization of this technology for Kermanshah University of Technology, Shahsavari explained that the system’s structure was tailored to the university’s specific processes, regulations, and needs. It is designed to provide responses aligned with the university’s operational procedures, offering users an experience akin to consulting with an academic affairs expert.
He also noted the technology’s potential for expansion beyond academic settings, adding that Virako’s architecture allows for implementation in other universities, government agencies, public institutions, and private companies—particularly those handling a high volume of inquiries based on internal bylaws, documents, and regulations.
The Virako development team manager announced the continuation of the partnership with Kermanshah University of Technology, stating that efforts to enhance system capabilities, update the knowledge base, and provide ongoing support would persist to ensure users always have access to the latest information and services.
The launch of the “Virako Smart Assistant” represents a step toward developing a smart university and leveraging artificial intelligence in higher education. By facilitating information access, reducing the need for in-person visits, and accelerating response times, this initiative can play a significant role in enhancing the quality of educational services. The “Virako” smart assistant can be accessed and used via the link below or by scanning the QR code.
https://kut.ac.ir/viracoai-assistant/
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