Students at MET ICS flourish in an environment that encourages scientific curiosity & critical thinking, says Director

In a conversation with Shiksha.com, Director-MET Institute of Computer Science Dr Abhijeet Banubakode talks at length about the institute’s focus on the holistic development of the students. He goes into detail discussing the curriculum design that focuses on individual learners’ needs. A number of initiatives such as flipped classroom, recorded sessions and interactive quizzes have been taken by the institute to enhance technical, social and interpersonal skills among students.

Dr Banubakode is a PhD degree holder in Computer Studies from Symbiosis Institute of Research and Innovation (SIRI). He has a rich academic experience of over 20 years of working with renowned engineering colleges across Pune and is also an active member of IACSIT, IEEE, ISTE and CSI. 

Read the complete interview below

Q: What are the three things that your institute is doing that will enable it to differentiate itself from competition?

A: The MCA Programme is affiliated with Mumbai University and its duration is two years. We at MET Institute of Computer Science concentrate on the holistic development of students. We provide personalised mentorship to each student and help them in terms of technical, social and interpersonal skills. Each course is taught using innovative techniques such as flipped classroom, recorded sessions, interactive quizzes and multiple activities. We ensure that each student achieves defined learning outcomes.

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

A: We organise industry expert sessions on emerging trends and technologies on regular basis in order to bridge the gap between industry and academia. Besides this:

• We have tie-ups with top IT companies such as Tata Consultancy Services, General Mills. Experts from these companies interact with our students and provide insight on the dynamics of the IT industry.
• We offer professional courses from AWS academy and Coursera

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

A: To qualify for undergraduate programmes such as BCA/ BSc/ BCom/ BA with Mathematics as one of the subjects, the applicant must have a minimum aggregate of 50% in Class 12 (at least 45% in case of candidates belongs  to backward class categories and Persons with Disability belonging to Maharashtra State only)

And, to perform well, the students must be dedicated, sincere and work towards the long-term goal. Students must attend classes regularly and participate in extra-curricular activities.

Q: Which programme/s would you say is/are your best? What is it that helps your institution differentiate itself for this programme?  

A: MET Institute of Computer Science offers the MCA programme (affiliated to Mumbai University) since the year 2001. Students of MET ICS thrive in an environment that fosters scientific inquiry, critical thinking, innovation and creativity. With an advanced curriculum combined with a dedicated teaching community, guest lectures from IT professionals, ever-supportive alumni and a top-notch placement team, we groom our students, technically and professionally, to join the ranks of elite IT companies.

MET-ICS is dedicated to expanding knowledge, inspiring originality, and nurturing our students to become well-rounded leaders for the dynamic world we live in today.

Q: What are you doing to improve/drive better campus placements for your current students and alumni? What kind of jobs routinely come to campus? What would you say are the key recruitment trends for your college (observed over the past five years)?

A: We have a dedicated career guidance and placement cell to look after the placement process. The placement preparation begins from the first semester and continues till the student is successfully placed. The CGPC cell conducts weekly aptitude tests, technical sessions, group discussions and mock interviews.

Our students are mainly working as Software Engineer, Business Analyst, Software Developer, Database Developer, Test Engineer, Web Developer. In addition to this few students have taken on entrepreneurial roles and started their own ventures.