We are totally in sync with the rapid, constant changes and evolutions that this industry undergoes, says Director

Dr Mangesh Karandikar, Director of MET Institute of Mass Media, discusses the institute's unique selling points. He goes on to discuss the institute's versatility, which allows it to keep up with the media industry's rapid and ongoing changes and evolutions by involving working media experts to teach their students. He also discussed the institute's efforts to assist students in becoming industry-ready.

Dr Karandikar has more than 30 years of expertise, first in the graphic and web design, interactive media programming, filmmaking, and digital marketing industries for 15 years, and then in teaching for 16 years. He is a former Head of the University of Mumbai's Department of Communication and Journalism and serves on the Board of Studies of various institutions.

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 Media and Entertainment is the most dynamic business sector in India and has maintained steady growth in the last 20 years despite the ups and downs in the economy. This sector is a glorious combination of creativity, innovation, and technology. At MET Institute of Mass media, we are totally in sync with these rapid and constant changes and evolutions that this industry undergoes by involving working media professionals to teach our students. The emphasis is on the word ‘working’ because these professionals give the latest inputs from the industry to give our students the edge over the competition.

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

A: Live projects, hands-on 360-degree approach to media training are the way we conduct all our courses. The most important initiatives are:

• Encourage two-way, participatory communication during classroom sessions. Our students are encouraged to think proactively, the professors encourage students to discuss different approaches in all streams – Advertising, Entertainment, Journalism and PR, and Digital marketing.
• We encourage our students to innovate, create, discuss ideas, make their own projects.
• Instead of adopting a bookish and hypothetical approach, we invite brand managers, filmmakers, journalists, digital campaigners to assign projects to our students which they evaluate. This direct industry interaction not only builds confidence but also prepares our students for the industry – by the industry.

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

A: Students should be a graduate in any stream, with good communication skills and must have general awareness in all fields including business, entertainment, and politics, apart from the admission process which involves a Common Entrance Test, Group Discussion and a Personal Interview.

To perform well, students are expected to dedicate themselves to the programme in such a way that they inculcate a habit of paying attention to details. Students should be unafraid to experiment and get out of the standardised bookish mode of learning.

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

A: The curriculums of our programmes are updated every year keeping in mind the latest requirements from the industry. Our industry-academia connections are very strong and with our alumni in almost every major media organisation, we have a well-developed and active hotline with the industry. This helps us keep our curriculums in sync with the industry requirements.

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: Our students are industry-ready, so placing students is usually a standardised process. But we go a step further. We have started a Campus-to-Corporate programme which starts in the first semester and continues right up to the last day the student is on the campus. The students are trained for everything from negotiation skills, the art of giving interviews, dining etiquette and also personal grooming. This programme also involves advanced Excel, business communication, and training in working in teams. This comprehensive programme helps our students immensely during the placement procedure.

One of the most important trends in the last few years is that companies who come to our campus expect our students to be fully trained, and to be able to immediately start working. This is mainly because of the reputation that has been built over the last 17 years our programmes are being run. The performance of our alumni is an added factor