Afzal Khan has been working as a Professor and Head of Civil Department at Millennium Institute of Technology & Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. He has done B.Tech from Infotech Education Society of Bhopal and M.Tech from Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya as part of his education. Apart from this, he has done research on Construction Technology and holds a 5 years of good work experience.

Millennium Institute of Technology

Which latest programme are you offering in your department to help students outperform & stand apart from the crowd?

At present, we are teaching AutoCAD design software to our students so that they can explore the basic and advanced concepts of drafting & designing and can learn about how to design and annotate 2D geometry and 3D models with solids, surfaces and mesh objects etc. 

Because once they will step into actual world, they will have to deal with the various kinds of structures being a Civil Engineer, hence along with AutoCAD, we are also providing them knowledge of "Structural Analysis and Design" which is commonly known as Staad Pro and is used for analyzing and designing structures like buildings, towers, bridges, transportation and utility structures etc.

Which factors make the programs of your Civil Department worth pursuing for the students? 

We are providing the detailed knowledge of architectural designing softwares such as AutoCAD and Staad Pro to ambitious youths of our Civil Engineering Department because both of them are in high demand in the market. And we believe that if they will be industry ready even before finishing their course and entering into the corporate sector, only then our contribution will be counted in shaping and securing their future.

Another aim of ours behind teaching them about these softwares is to inculcate in them best quality practical knowledge and skills. Hence I would say that the learning opportunities we provide to students make courses of our CE Department worth pursuing for them.

What best practices are being offered by your department to the students under each course? 

Our Civil Engineering Department provides finest quality practical exposure and knowledge of a wide variety of tools, technologies and softwares to students so that they can build new ones and develop existing skills to be successful in their career. Along with this, our students work on real-time projects of industries to strengthen their subject's knowledge and utilize their classroom learning in actual world scenarios.

What are some valuable insights of the programs that are being offered by your department to the ambitious youths?

The Civil Engineering Department of our college is offering BIM (Building Information Modelling) certification programs to our students. And our prime objective behind this is to teach them the smart and 3D model based process of BIM and the way it enhances the overall design, construction and maintenance of an infrastructure. In other words, after having deep insights of BIM, students can understand the various types of construction projects in a better way and can collaborate effectively while working with big builders. 

How do you train yourself and your faculty to teach the AutoCAD to students in the best way possible?

In order to stay updated with the latest happenings and developments of the Civil Engineering world and deliver the best content to students, I along with other faculty members of my department, attend a diverse range of training programs, workshops and conferences on a regular basis. Apart from this, we read different printed books and articles on the internet to enhance our knowledge and skills from time to time.

How do you build a strong connection between your College's courses and industry demands?

For the purpose of bridging the gaps between our students skills and industry demands and keeping our courses corporate relevant, we regularly collaborate with the local engineering firms of Bhopal and also conduct guest lectures in collaboration with the experts of top-notch industries so that our students can get the required career guidance on time and finalize the appropriate path for them post completion of their respective courses with us. 

What challenges have you faced while including the AutoCAD and other CE programs in your curriculum?

In my opinion, the most challenging task for us while inculcating the courses like AutoCAD and Staad Pro in our curriculum was finding the right and expert professional who can teach these programs to students in a suitable manner. Because, whenever students are exposed to some new technology, tool or software, they become curious to know more about it, so our goal remains to identify the equally curious professor for them who can explain every single designing concept to them in the simplest way possible.

On what kinds of projects your students are currently working on using AutoCAD software?

Our students are designing various kinds of 2D and 3D models along with a few prototypes using tools, materials and software like AutoCAD and Staad Pro.

What benefits and career options would be available to students after pursuing courses from your college?

From my own professional experiences, I can confirm that students after successfully completing the CE related courses from our college will get a plethora of job opportunities in the outside world, chance to work on cutting edge technologies while working on industrial projects and definitely a lucrative salary package as a perk. And If I talk about the employment scope, they can work as a Manager, Consultant, Engineer or Modeler etc. with renowned companies.