Dr. N. Radha is the Head of the Department of ECE at Aditya Engineering College. She holds an M.Tech. degree in Instrumentation and Control from JNTU and a PhD from Acharya Nagarjuna University. She has over 18 years of experience and her areas of interest are image fusion, digital images, medical image processing, microprocessors and microcontrollers. Dr. Radha has written 11 papers in reputed international and national journals. She has also presented six papers at international conferences and two papers at national conferences. Dr. Radha even has a patent published in her name. Besides memberships at IETE and IEEE, she has also received awards for the Most Accomplished Spoken Tutorial Educator Resource Award at IIT Bombay in 2023 among others.

Aditya Engineering College

Being a HOD of ECE Dept., what are your roles and responsibilities towards the students?

As a HoD, my responsibilities encompass academic leadership, student guidance, curriculum development, and industry engagement. My duties also extend to coming up of innovation initiatives, collaboration with other departments, policy implementation, and performance monitoring.

How do you tend to establish healthy relations with the students and fellow faculty? 

I make myself approachable and encourage open communication with students. I congratulate the students' achievements, both academic and extracurricular. This recognition boosts their confidence and encourages them to excel further. Additionally, I encourage the faculty to work as a team by sharing knowledge in a positive way.

How do you try to bring in a practical approach towards subjects and make it industry-oriented?

I establish MoUs with industries, inviting professionals for guest lectures, workshops, and collaborative projects. This exposes students to current industry practices and challenges. I work with faculty to update the curriculum regularly, integrating practical case studies, projects, and assignments that mirror real-world scenarios. It helps students apply theoretical concepts in practical settings. I facilitate internship programs, allowing students to gain hands-on experience within industries. This exposure enhances their understanding of industry operations and requirements. I promote interdisciplinary projects that involve students from different departments.

What are the best practices offered by the department to the students that help them gain necessary skills?

Our students at the department are trained to acquire communication skills, and soft skills by participating in co-curricular activities viz. paper presentation contests, poster presentations, circuit debugging, technical quizzes, and the organization of student conferences. Expert lectures are organized for the benefit of students by inviting eminent people from reputed industries/ research organizations/ institutions. In addition, field visits are organized on a regular basis to raise awareness of the latest advances in the field of Engineering.

How do you strategize the curriculum and how often it get updated to make it befitting for the students?

Feedback from academicians, students, recruiters, and industry experts as well as alumni is considered in designing our course curriculum. The curriculum is designed in a way to ensure the students get to demonstrate essential knowledge, skills and abilities needed for professional practice and higher education. The curriculum contents are decided in alignment with Programme Educational Objectives through direct support from program outcomes. It is ensured that the program curriculum satisfies program-specific criteria.

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What are your views on the placements and higher education of the students from your department How does your department prepare students for Higher education?

A strong emphasis is laid on motivating the students to take up campus placements. Right from the third semester, our students are given training in technical skills and soft skills. At the end of the sixth semester and before the beginning of the final year, students are given intensive training to face interviews and campus placements. Many students in my department opt for placements in various reputed organizations and higher education in reputed institutions in India and abroad every year. I identify the students with various abilities to choose suitable careers. For example, students with research abilities are encouraged to take up research-oriented projects so that they can pursue higher education in India and abroad. Similarly, students with leadership traits are mentored to take up entrepreneurial activities/startup companies etc. We maintain strong industry connections to facilitate placements. Our curriculum includes internships, projects, skill oriented courses, which give students hands-on experience and make them job-ready. We conduct placement drives and resume-building workshops to enhance their employability skills. The department's reputation and alumni network also contribute to successful placements.

How do you help your student cope with the competition being so high in the outside world?

We organise hackathons, coding competitions, and design challenges that encourage students to solve real problems. These events promote innovation and creativity. We pair students with mentors who can provide guidance, share their experiences, and offer advice on career choices, personal development, and skill-building. Mentors can help students gain confidence and clarity in their goals. The college also provides access to career counsellingg services that help students identify their strengths, interests, and long-term career aspirations. This can help them make informed decisions about their career path and set realistic goals.

We offer workshops and training on essential soft skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management. These skills are valuable in the professional world and can give students a competitive edge. Moreover, we organize networking events, guest lectures, and industry panels to connect students with professionals in their field of interest. Networking can open up job opportunities and provide valuable insights into industry trends. We promote mental and emotional well-being by offering counselling services and stress management workshops. High competition can be stressful, and it's essential for students to have resources to cope with it. Facilitating internships, co-op programs, or project-based learning opportunities that allow students to gain real-world experience and build their resumes. Practical experience can give them a competitive advantage.

Do you have any extracurricular activities/ programs to enhance the skills of the students or expose them to real-world challenges?

Extracurricular activities are offered by several clubs that are managed by various departments of the college. Participation in these activities is made mandatory so that no student misses out on any activity. Students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities including NSS, NCC and various club activities to emphasize the socially relevant activities. We have several committees for extra-curriculars at the college level. These committees organizes extra-curricular activities, inculcate human values through fine arts, plan and schedule cultural events for the academic year and train the students to ensure the best performance in cultural events. We also provide a supportive environment for students interested in photography to share their creativity, knowledge, and passion for photography.

What are the challenges you faced/ are facing to uplift the quality of education of your department? 

Our biggest challenge was adapting to altering educational policies and regulations at the institutional or governmental level. It requires flexibility and administrative coordination. We are still working on addressing these challenges and will surely overcome them slowly.

When you came to college, what was your vision and how are you trying to achieve the same?

My vision is to make our department a center of excellence in the field of Electronics and Communication Engineering with technological capability, professional commitment, and social responsibility through several mission elements. We aim to provide quality education, well-equipped laboratory facilities, and industry collaboration. We also promote cutting-edge technologies to serve the needs of society and industry through innovative research and also to inculcate professional ethics and personality development skills.