ASB prioritises the practical application of academic information acquired over the course of two years, says Dr Gupta

Dr Ansha Gupta, Assistant Professor, AIMS - Atharva Institute of Management Studies, discusses the various teaching approaches used by the institute in an interview with Shiksha.com. It consists of situational analysis, application-based learning, the Industry Mentoring Accelerated Programme, and a concentration on international live projects. She goes into detail on the curriculum and efforts implemented by the institute to assist students in becoming industry-ready.

Dr. Gupta holds a PhD in Management and has over eight years of academic and corporate experience. She has so far presented nine research presentations at conferences and published papers in prestigious Scopus Indexed publications.

Read the complete interview below.

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

A: The Interactive Learning approach is used at Atharva Institute of Management Studies, Malad (West), Mumbai, which is driven by situational analysis of the most appropriate content in teaching through team exercises, group/individual presentations, role plays, case studies, guest lecture, reading of recent newspaper articles, videos, movie analysis, debate exercise, soft skill training through language lab, and forming specialisation wise clubs. Finance symposium, Marketing symposium, Leadership talk, Alumni talk, IT talk, Annual event, Convocation event, the Guest session on various topics, international conference, Quiz events, Induction programme, e-cell, panel discussion through the corporate interface, National and international Industrial visit are some of the co-curricular activities we conduct to provide them with an overall professional exposure to the corporate world.

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

A: Atharva Institute of Management Studies prioritises the practical application of academic information acquired over the course of two years by instilling the habit of thinking outside the box and attempting to discover a smarter and more competitive approach to do work. We place a strong focus on providing opportunities for our students to work on international live projects, foreign language training, in-house student mentoring, the Industry Mentoring Accelerated Programme (MAP), book review sessions, and research papers. We've also supplied externally a variety of short certification programmes from industry specialists, such as a certificate programme in advanced Excel, a certificate programme in business analytics, a certification in NISM, and so on, to give them an edge on their CV.

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

A: The Atharva Institute of Management Studies is looking for the finest applications that demonstrate how much the student applicant wants to be accepted, and how they have devoted themselves to being the greatest person and candidate they can be. Here, we develop in our students by creating real excitement for their chosen course, independent thought and study, strong communication and writing skills, good collaboration and teamwork, dedication, and perseverance.

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

A: An academic advisory group of industry specialists advises Atharva Institute of Management Studies on how to improve the curriculum and keep it up to speed with industry norms and demands for management professionals. We are always working to bridge the gap between industry and academia by updating and revising our contents in response to the rapidly changing business climate and industry demands. Make a minimum of two-three months of on-the-job industry training required in post-graduate courses, as well as create more industry-specific learning centers of excellence.

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

A: Every second Saturday of the month, we hold expert talks at CIE (Center for Incubation & Entrepreneurship), E-Cell of ASB. The goal of forming this cell at is to turn job seekers into job creators, resulting in new knowledge-based innovative ventures, industries, and a new breed of technopreneurs, as well as more avenues of employment opportunities, leading the nation toward industrial excellence and self-reliance.