Industry exposure improves the skill set of students, Says Prof Suresh Narayan, NMIMS

Prof Suresh Narayan, Assistant Professor of School of Commerce, NMIMS, Navi Mumbai is an accomplished capital market professional with more than 25 years of leadership experience with critical market infrastructure institutions and banks, in diverse business and cultural environments and spanning up to the full spectrum of services including operations, products, client relations, risk & controls in capital markets & financial services industry and also has a 1-year teaching experience.

Also, he is a speaker at various National, International Seminars and Conferences in areas of Capital markets. Regular Speaker at in-house Training programs for various organizations.

In this Take 5-Series with Shiksha, Prof Suresh Narayan talks about the unique aspects of studying at School of Commerce, NMIMS the kind of projects, internships and placement opportunities that students have, the best programs to study and how to take admission to these.

Q. What are the salient features of the teaching methodology adopted by your college? How does this differ from others?

Teaching methodology includes various methods and tools – Aids like powerpoint presentations are used to explain the concepts of the course curriculum. In addition, videos, audio presentations, etc. related to the subject are used to provide additional clarity on the concepts. For a subject like Banking & Insurance, reports on Industry trends are sourced through the industry network and shared with the students. This gives them an idea of ‘what is happening’ in the marketplace.

Q. How are you preparing your students to be Industry ready?

Bridging the gap between academia and industry is a key aspect that is given top attention. This gap is bridged through the following means viz. holding guest lectures on contemporary topics related to curriculum, taking along students to industry events, etc. e.g. for Banking & Insurance subject, students accompanied the faculty in attending a National level conference on Banking which was graced by RBI Governor. Speakers included CEOs of leading banks and NBFCs.

Q. What are the qualities you are looking for in student applicants? What qualities do they need to do well in your course?

Students should be able to gather conceptual clarity on the subject being taught and be receptive to increasing the thirst for knowledge. Further, they should be ‘’up to speed’’ on current developments in the market place on aspects related to the subject being taught. This can be done by reading articles in print /digital/social media, etc. To do well in the course, students must understand the subject, be able to replicate the understanding in the exams and also be able to carry forward the learnings for their career ahead (practical applications).

Q. How do you ensure that your course curriculum is up to date and meets industry requirements?

Regular interaction with the faculty coordinator is carried out. Based on market trends, feedback is provided to faculty coordinator to revise the contents of the course curriculum. Also, the broad course curriculum is informally shared with industry experts to see if it is in line with current market trends.

Q. Is your college receptive to innovation, technology, science & entrepreneurship? How? Could you cite some examples of these?

Yes, advancements in technology related to the subject being taught are also taught to students. E.g. for students of banking/insurance, guest lectures were held to cover contemporary topics like Blockchain, RPA, Artificial Intelligence, and Data Analytics.