Dr. T. Ravichandran is an Assistant Professor and the Head of the Department of Akshaya College of Engineering and Technology. His roles involve leadership, administration, and shaping the academic direction of the department. Dr. Ravichandran holds an M.E. degree, followed by a PhD.

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Being a Faculty of the Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Department, what are your roles and responsibilities towards the students? 

As a teacher, you will shape the minds of your students and encourage them to think independently. To become a good teacher, it’s important to be organised. Create lesson plans, objectives, activities, and assessment plans well before each class day. Get your students interested in learning by fostering a positive, supportive, yet challenging classroom environment. These are some of my responsibilities.

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

The college aims to enhance research and make its department and college globally visible. To achieve this goal, we encourage collaborative projects among students and faculty members and seek out secure funding for innovative studies. We also promote research paper publications in reputable journals and hope to gradually gain global recognition through these efforts.

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

We follow an instruction style that prioritises problem solving, practical application, and hands-on learning. Also known as a practical approach, we bring real-life examples and case studies to teaching. It entails moving beyond theoretical concepts and giving pupils real-world exposure so they can interact with, comprehend, and engage with the subject matter better.

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

The digital medium ICT-based course content aims to teach students the significance of subjects in real-world applications. Certification courses with IIT Bombay Spoken Tutorials NPTEL up-skill students and faculty. The academic calendar is uploaded on the website, and the department monitors syllabus coverage, library usage, attendance, and performance. Remedial classes and training on soft and technical skills are provided during semester breaks. Our success is evident in syllabus completion, faculty adoption, and increased pass percentages and placements.

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

We regularly update our curriculum to include the latest industry trends and changes. We start by identifying and updating skills and competencies among the faculty members. Thereafter, we update learning objectives, incorporate authentic activities, and engage with industry partners to get their feedback on an ideal curriculum. We also monitor curriculum alignment and impact to ensure effective learning.

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

We make sure to praise our students when they make an effort so that they are motivated to work hard. The teachers encourage students to ask for help and also push them to improve their teamwork and collaboration skills. We provide intrinsic motivation and teach our students to deal with losses and develop mental toughness. The college also recognises the benefits of healthy competition in school, as it helps students get motivated. Taking risks is also a part of this effort.

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

We have numerous extracurricular activities for the holistic development of the students. We have sports teams and subject-based groups that allow students to explore other interests and skills. Our social clubs also organise different events and competitions around a shared interest for the benefit of the students as well.

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

The biggest challenge we are currently facing is getting our students to read more. It is necessary to increase book reading habits outside of classroom textbooks. This will help them improve their vocabulary, learn about human experiences, and let them self-reflect. Students are also highly distracted, which has been brought on by cell phones.

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

When I first joined ACET, my vision was to nurture Engineering and Technological potential in undergraduate and postgraduate students to their highest standards. I wanted to take up the technological challenges of the state, nation, and beyond to ensure social security and sustainable development. We also want to provide infrastructure at par with international standards for quality training, research, and development. The college envisions encouraging collaborative activities across disciplines to take up global challenges and to enable young learners with legal and ethical awareness to meet challenges in industry and academia or set up start-up ventures.

What are the interventions and approaches you bring in apart from the curriculum to train/teach the students? 

Beyond the syllabus, we impart practical knowledge by providing real-time examples. Our students also prepare models, examples, case studies and more. They are also required to attend workshops and interactive sessions with industry experts, along with internships. The college aims to provide content beyond the syllabus through certifications and short-term courses.

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What do you see the department’s/ college’s greatest strengths and how it can be enhanced?

Our greatest strength is the aspiring minds of the students. It is because of their hard work and achievements that ACET has been able to secure several milestones until now. We also have a team of highly self motivated faculty who are also experienced and regularly partake in research. They bring to the classroom a dynamic environment that makes classes more engaging and entertaining.

What valuable advice would you like to the students for them to have a prosperous career ahead?

I would like to advise students to indulge in self learning. This will keep your brain active and help you stay competitive in the workplace. Continuous learning is necessary to stay ahead of the curve. Identify your passion and work diligently towards achieving your goals by improvising your knowledge in your fields of interest.

What are the factors that make this program the best for the students to opt? 

Artificial intelligence and data science are emerging fields in education and industry. New roles are being developed and the scope of work is expanding rapidly. Having this program on their resume will help students immensely in their careers. We have also added several value-added courses each semester to help students learn the latest technology.

How does the program ensure that students are being prepared for the future?

Besides the curriculum, we also provide communication skills training and programming training. We have aptitude training and mini-projects that are to be done by students. Guest lectures are organised regularly by industrial experts. Students are also evaluated on the basis of these short courses and training programs.

How did you train yourself to deliver this program to the students?

We have established different initiatives and programs to help faculty members teach better. Freshers are trained by subject experts before they teach their subjects. This is delivered under the “Train the Trainer program.” When new subjects are introduced, guest lectures and FDPs are made mandatory for the faculty to gain knowledge before handling the subject.