Sri Aurobindo Institute of Technology: Dr. Sunil Kumar Dwivedi, Dean

Dr. Sunil Kumar Dwivedi, Dean of Administration of Sri Aurobindo Institute of Technology, has completed his PhD from Banasthali Vidyapith and his B. Pharm and his M. Pharm from Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya. He has more than 16 years of experience in teaching, research, and administration in the field of technical education. His area of research is the Computational Study and Molecular Modeling of Drug-like substances. Dr. Dwivedi has supervised more than 20 students in Postgraduate and 50 students in the undergraduate course. Moreover, he has been granted an industrial research project, a research project from the MP Council of Science and Technology, and also completed a consultancy research project with the MSME Foundation. He is also an active member of various professional bodies like the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA), The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), The Hague, Netherlands, The Indian Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (IACP), and the Indian Pharmaceutical Graduate Association (IPGA).

Can you describe your experience in the education industry?

I've been working with the Sri Aurobindo group of institutes in various positions for the past 16 years. The role of a Dean of Administration within the Sri Aurobindo Institute of Technology is a dynamic and multifaceted position that goes beyond traditional administrative responsibilities. One of the cornerstones of my role has been overseeing the administrative functions critical to the seamless functioning of the institution. From managing facilities to optimising resource allocation, I've worked to create an environment conducive to learning and growth. Leading administrative teams requires a delicate balance of mentorship, guidance, and strategic thinking. My experience involves fostering a positive work culture, investing in professional development, and conducting performance evaluations to ensure a high-performing team. Contributing to the formulation of institutional policies and ensuring compliance with education regulations has been a key aspect of my responsibilities. By combining strategic vision with hands-on administrative expertise, I've contributed to the institution's success and played a vital role in shaping the future of education.

What is your philosophy of leadership?

As a leadership concern, I try to encourage teamwork and cooperation among staff and faculty. To foster an innovative and energetic team, I encourage open communication, idea sharing, and positive risk-taking. I also maintain an open-door policy, act as a liaison with upper administration, and facilitate communication between staff members as needed. As a goal-oriented and team-oriented leader, I ensure that all my staff members, including faculty, fellow administrators, and support staff, understand how important they are to the success of our academic institution and mission. I give educators praise, positive encouragement, and constructive feedback to keep them motivated and eager to give their all every day.

What are your roles and responsibilities?

The Dean of Administration works with the institute's management and director to fulfil the institute's mission by providing administrative support. They serve as the intellectual head of the institute's entire administrative structure. As the administrator in charge of organising and directing the Sri Aurobindo group of institutes, the dean administration also promotes curricular and pedagogical innovation, facilitates and supports diversity, and ensures the institute's strategic plan and Strategic Academic Identity. I am one of the pillars of the institute and ensure that staff selection, appointment, evaluation, and development procedures are followed correctly. I am also in charge of developing policies related to these essential responsibilities and approving student requests for exceptions to academic policy or degree requirements.

What are the challenges faced by you as the Dean-Administration?

Many reputed institutes consider retaining quality academic staff to be a problem. The challenge is to attract and retain efficient employees by creating a work environment that allows them to advance in their careers. Part of this should be to develop the scientific and technological workforce to address the reform in engineering education that is needed at the institute level. This institute continuously changes its policy to retain qualified, skilled faculty members and other technical staff and to provide a happy workplace in all terms.

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How does the curriculum of your institute ensure best practices?

A cultural shift has been adopted in our institute towards outcome-based education, accompanied by active learning on the part of students. A dedicated unit dealing with academic development and the enhancement of instruction has been established that plays an active role in promoting outcomes-based instruction. Project-based learning has been introduced in teaching projects for first-year students, where senior students are involved as tutors. Students become actively involved in their learning through the projects they obtain from the community. Industry engagement and experiential learning for the faculty are facilitated by a well-organized student body and their involvement through various formal and informal processes. Engaged in the day-to-day administration of the faculty, the Student Engineering Society also has a representative on the Faculty Management Council.

What are the placement opportunities available in your institute for students?

SAIT, Indore, continues to uphold its position as one of the best in the region by successfully conducting the final placements for the students. Every year, approximately 40-45 companies visit, offering packages ranging from INR 2.4 LPA to INR 6 LPA. The main companies that visit us are TCS, Infosys, Accenture, Yash Technologies, Taskus, SmartData, T-System, Capgemini, ConsultAdd, Dhoot Transmisions, Topper Technologies, Techlink, HCL Technology, Hexaware, Montbleu, Intellicus, and Qspiders. In addition to this, the institute also trains students according to corporate standards like aptitude, reasoning, soft skills, and personality development sessions by renowned faculty to groom the students of SAIT.

What do you think is the greatest strength of your institute?

Although we have thousands of Engineers graduating every year, they are not employable. This can essentially be attributed to the gap between industry needs and curriculum, minimal or no industry interaction, a lack of focus on soft skills, and focusing too much on theory rather than practice. To address all these issues, Aurobindo has come up with an innovative in-house institute by the name of Aurobindo Finishing School. It is a one-of-a-kind initiative where the sole purpose for the students is to develop and deliver programs, modules, short courses, and capsules that will make them industry-ready and to impart knowledge and skills as required by the industry for matching jobs. The finishing school shall provide an opportunity for graduate students to develop soft, managerial, and communication skills in addition to technical skills. The institute and its faculty continuously work towards the goal of increasing the ‘Employability Quotient’ of the students of Aurobindo. The curriculum of Aurobindo Finishing School is drawn in consultation with the Corporate Advisory Board, The Industry Interface Development Centre and other distinguished people from the industry.

What is the top priority of your college in the upcoming years?

Over the next five years, our priority is to prepare students for the national and global workforce and to help them meet the challenges facing engineers domestically and globally. We will do so by providing high-quality instruction, curriculum, practical knowledge, and experiences that enhance global and local growth. It is important to ensure that we provide a globally relevant engineering education to our students.

Any suggestions you would like to give to current youth and aspiring students?

Sri Aurobindo Institute of Technology advises interested students and youth pursuing a career in the engineering field that the institute is working closely with industry, research, technology transfer, and continuing education, which will enable all the students to benefit from the local experience of industry. This allows all students to gain practical experience in the industry before they start working. It helps students make the right career choices and reinforces and expands the theoretical knowledge acquired during the programme.