Nurturing the habit of exploratory learning that will help students on personal and professional fronts, says Principal

In a conversation with Shiksha.com, Principal of SRM Valliammai Engineering College, Kanchipuram Dr B Chidambararajan talks in detail about their pedagogy to make students industry-ready. He also elaborates on the initiatives taken by the institute to drive quality placements for students. The aim is not to get students their first job, but to prepare students for a bright career. Dr Chidambararajan is a passionate teacher and has always invested innovative teaching nuances to reach students. He has been awarded ‘Education Leadership Award’ presented by Dewang Mehta National Education Awards in the year 2017.

Read the excerpts of the interview below:

Q: What are the three things that your college is doing that will enable it to differentiate itself.

A: The three things that are unique in our Institution are the following.

• We have a fully functioning placement department that has been consistent in reporting high placement records.
• The life skills and soft skills training provided to the students has been an intriguing feature of our Institute.

• Hands-on training in accordance with the current industrial expectations has been furnished to the student community.

Q: What are the top three initiatives taken by you that are helping your students become more industry ready?

A: Today the industry demands skilled professionals which can only be achieved if students have been given practical exposure throughout their education. And, this is the only reason why institutes keep updating their curriculum with the help of industry experts. Apart from the industry-embedded curriculum, we have taken initiatives such as:

• Building a future-ready workforce that will be well equipped with the latest technology and will also be able to adapt to the ever-changing technological world
• Fostering innovative ideas that help the upcoming industries to hand pick our students into their organisation
• Nurturing the habit of exploratory learning which would take them a long way both in their personal and professional fronts

Q: What are the key attributes that a student should have in order to qualify for your institution and get top grades?

A: There are no set guidelines that a student should possess in order to qualify for our Institution. All we expect from them is self-confidence, sheer will, determination and focus towards achieving the set goal without counting the failures they undergo.

And, Perseverance is needed to make better performance and abilities day after day. The willingness and an open mind towards novel concepts and updates will help them gain from their educational experiences.

Q: Which programme/s would you say is/ are you best? What is that helps your Institution differentiates itself?

A: SRM Valliammai Engineering College, Kattankulathur has always been a symbol of newness and bold enough in venturing newer areas. The following are the bachelor's courses that are provided by SRM VEC and are always the best in their domains.

And, following are the master's courses offered by SRM VEC:

Q: What are you doing to drive/ improve better campus placements for your current students and alumni?

A: The Institute has a highly active and effective placement department, which organises regular seminars, pre-placement sessions, and campus interviews. There is a dedicated team of experienced trainers who lead students on strategies to meet the requirements in every stage of the placement process with much ease. We have an excellent placement record. The students are always confident when they sit for placement since they are the ones who had planned and structured their profile with the guidance of the placement cell who have a network of corporates where they keep us updated about their requirements.