Dr. P Nageswara Reddy is a distinguished academician and administrator with a rich background in Mechanical Engineering. Graduating from S.V. University, Tirupathi in 1986, he continued his academic journey by earning a Master of Engineering Degree from Bharathiar University, Coimbatore in 1988. In 2001, he achieved the pinnacle of academic excellence, obtaining a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from JNT University, Hyderabad. Dr. Reddy's commitment to the field is evident through his extensive teaching and administrative experience spanning over 35 years. He is a recognized fellow of the Institution of Engineers and serves as an esteemed Editorial Board member for various reputable International Journals. His professional journey has taken him to several prestigious institutions, where he has held key leadership roles as Principal and Director. In 2022, Dr. Reddy assumed the role of Principal at AVN Institute of Engineering and Technology. Since his tenure began, he has been dedicated to elevating the institution's status, tirelessly working towards making it one of the best autonomous Engineering colleges in and around Hyderabad. Dr. P Nageswara Reddy's vision and expertise continue to shape the academic landscape, leaving an indelible mark on the future of engineering education.

AVN Institute of Engineering and Technology

Can you succinctly articulate the current vision and mission of AVN Institute of Engineering and Technology?

To be a center of academic excellence in academics and research, our main mission is to graduate as many students as possible, making them more employable. We aim to ensure that 90% of our graduates secure employment upon completing their undergraduate degree program.

How does AVN Institute ensure the quality and relevance of its academic programs?

It is achieved through a three-stage process. Firstly, we are designing the curriculum. Our college has gained autonomy starting from the academic year 2022-23 for the next 10 years. We develop our curriculum by engaging academicians from esteemed institutions such as IITs and NIITs and professionals from industries like Microsoft and Amazon. This collaboration ensures the creation of a highly effective, industry-oriented curriculum. This marks the first step. Secondly, we not only hire efficient and experienced faculty but also involve industry experts to come to the campus and teach major subjects like machine learning, data science, and the latest technologies to our students. This approach constitutes the second stage. The third stage involves providing continuous campus recruitment training. Our goal is to enhance our students' employability so that by the time they reach the fourth year, they are well-prepared for the job market. Our focus is on ensuring that 90% of the students who undergo our campus recruitment training program secure placements in major companies.

What initiatives are in place to support the continuous professional development of faculty members?

For faculty development, we conduct annual faculty development programs. Additionally, we have a partnership with the ICT Academy, which hosts these programs and allows our institute to participate. This collaboration extends to online faculty development opportunities. Moreover, the college management provides financial support for faculty to attend development programs organized by premier institutes such as NIITs and IITs. We also organize our faculty development programs twice a year, at the end of both the first and second semesters. Funding for these initiatives is secured from agencies like AICTE & UGC.

How does the institution ensure the proper maintenance of its infrastructure and facilities?

We have a maintenance department at the college level that visits each department. They engage with laboratory coordinators and heads of departments, offering the necessary support to ensure the proper maintenance of equipment and premises. This commitment extends beyond the interior of the buildings; our aesthetically constructed campus and buildings are also well-maintained. The maintenance department ensures the cleanliness of the entire campus without being overly concerned about the associated expenses.

What mechanisms exist to provide counseling and support services for students?

We prioritize comprehensive counseling and career guidance right from the first year. For every 15 students, we assign one faculty member at the first-year level. This faculty member continues to guide the same group from the second year to the fourth year, fostering a strong rapport. The faculty actively identifies students who may be slow learners or facing challenges, discussing necessary provisions to enhance their academic performance. Any academically struggling students are brought to the attention of higher-ups to organize remedial classes. Additionally, meetings with their parents are arranged to ensure their focused concentration on academics.

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What are the key strategic priorities for AVN Institute in the next 3-5 years?

The primary strategy, given our current autonomous status, revolves around elevating all our NBA programs. Currently, we have three programs recognized by the NBA, including recent additions in the last three years, such as Computer Science in AML, Data Science, and Cybersecurity. Additionally, we've introduced a new course in Artificial Intelligence and Data Sets. Our main objective is to establish these as centers of excellence, positioning our college as a hub for AI, ML, AIDS, and Cybersecurity. We are currently in the phase of developing the necessary infrastructure to support this initiative. The second priority is to ensure that all these newly introduced undergraduate programs receive accreditation from the National Board of Accreditation.

How does the institution gather feedback from students, faculty, and other stakeholders?

We have a well-defined mechanism at the department level. The departments have created specific formats for gathering feedback from alumni. Since the departments maintain data on these alumni, we reach out to them via email to obtain their insights on the education they received, its usefulness in their continuous learning, and its applicability in the industry. For current outgoing students, who are leaving soon after graduation, we collect feedback at the end of each semester, specifically after the fourth year. We thoroughly review this feedback, and our academic programs are designed based on these valuable insights. Similarly, for the current academic year, we collect feedback at the end of every semester for each subject, evaluating whether the students achieved the required learning outcomes. These feedback mechanisms are implemented on campus, and we actively address the issues raised by students through this feedback.

Could you provide information on the current accreditation status of the institution?

The college obtained accreditation from NAC in 2022 with an A grade, valid for five years. Subsequently, the three undergraduate programs— B.Tech in Computer Science Engineering, B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering, and B.Tech in Civil Engineering—received accreditation twice from the NBA. The next accreditation cycle is scheduled for 2025. In addition to these three programs, we are also seeking accreditation for newly introduced courses like AIML and Data Science. We aim to ensure that all our undergraduate programs receive accreditation from the NBA by the year 2025.

What do you see as the main challenges facing AVN Institute, and what strategies are being employed to address them?

The primary challenge is the recent permission granted by the ACT to introduce advanced courses like AIML, AIDS, etc. Currently, the available faculty in the market and other academic institutions are predominantly related to CSE. There is a scarcity of specialists in AIML, AIDS, and data science. Furthermore, the number of students graduating from premier institutions with these specializations is limited. Considering the widespread inclusion of these courses, particularly in private and demanding universities with high admissions, there is a dearth of specialized faculty. Acquiring experienced faculty for these courses is a significant task, and we are investing substantial resources by offering competitive salaries to attract such expertise. Additionally, for the existing faculty on our campus with a CSE background, we are implementing training programs. These programs focus on specialization in AI, ML, and data science, involving industry experts through faculty development programs. The main challenge lies in directly finding faculty for these specialized courses. Therefore, we are adopting two strategies: bringing in external faculty and internally training our faculty, offering attractive salaries to those eligible with the required specialization. These are the two strategies we are implementing to address this challenge.