Kumar Shrinivasan, director, PICT School of Technology & Management speaks about newage education methods with Shibaji Roychoudhury
How do you differentiate PICT-STM from the rest of the colleges/institutes in IndiaIJ
PICT-STM has an Applied Research Centre (ARC) through which it undertakes research projects from the industry. The research projects are undertaken in the domains of consumer research, CRM, performance appraisal, financial planning and so on. The students are exposed to real life business research when they participate in ARC activities.
The institute, faculty and students under its social outreach programme have undertaken two projects. First, to support a Zila Prasad High School radio programme for spoken English for Classes IV and V children. Second, computer exploration programme to some of its students. We have just completed the second consecutive year of this project.
What about various global partnershipsIJ
We are working towards symbiotic partnerships with reputed national and international institutions. Our association with the Coventry University, UK is a live example of this quest for convergence of knowledge.
Every private university is tie-up with foreign universities today. WhyIJ
Most look to enhance their own brand value in the marketplace. Such a tie-up seems to indicate an international stature. However, one has to carefully evaluate what real and sustainable value-addition comes out of such tie-ups.
What are some of your programmes that attracts studentsIJ
Our main flagship programme is the two-year full-time AICTE approved PGDM programme with specialisation in Marketing, Finance and HR. Our others areas of interest are advanced computing, VlSI and embedded systems.
What are the management courses on offerIJ
Besides offering marketing, HR and finance as specialisation, the institute lays a lot of emphasis on research work and field projects. This enables the students to understand the concepts of management and their application to the business problems. It helps students to become more of a hands-on manager, rather be only theoretical. Social and communication skills also get honed.
What kind of placement opportunities does the institute provide its studentsIJ
Emphasis is given to get in the best fit job with a managerial profile for each and every student. A large numbers of students have been placed in more than 19 key sectors. The alumni have made the institute proud with their fast-track growth and success. Some have become very successful entrepreneurs.
How important is infrastructure and extra-curricular facilities for an educational institution todayIJ
These are as important today, as they have been in the past. The nature and effectiveness really depend on what goals the institute has set upon itself. At our institute, these commensurate with our academic objectives of quality and excellence, as well as the student self-transformation goals, besides supporting academic pursuits our faculty and researchers.
How will new innovative career opportunities lead to a brighter futureIJ
Industry is evolving many new career opportunities, as various sectors react to globalisation and competition. Some of the interesting ones are in the areas of business analytics, mergers and acquisitions, innovative funds mobilisation, global marketing and marketing research, social media marketing. Each of these fields not only offer growth opportunities but also good packages.
What are the future projects the university is working onIJ
We are working towards more lab-based, research-based management education, along with processes to make our PGDM students more value-based and practical hands-on attitude. Inculcating intrapreneurship is another exciting project. Specific faculty development programmes are also being worked on.
How important is it to intern with corporates timeIJ
These continue to play a critical role. They give a much needed exposure to the real world of business. They also serve as a reality check for students to evaluate their employability skills.