Dr. Pankaj Chaudhary is the Director General of GRD College. Starting out with a B.Tech., an M.Tech. and a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering degrees, he has over 21 years of experience. Dr. Pankaj has been awarded the Guru Dronacharya Award in Computer Science and Engineering and he has over 16 research papers published in different journals.

GRD college

You have held key positions at education institutes throughout your professional career. What are the key factors that keep you connected with the education sector?

I have spent many years in this field of education. A major factor that keeps me connected to this field is being able to contribute to society. Most teachers start teaching because they want to be able to contribute to the development of society which was the same reason for me. I believe that they can play a role in creating a more knowledgeable, intelligent and educated population for our country through the medium of education. As the main forte of our college is Management and Technology, Science education faces many challenges. We need to provide diverse learning needs to practice the use of the latest technology. Additionally, for me, this sector has helped me to develop and showcase my personality, as education provides opportunities for personal growth and professional development. When people help others learn and develop, they also have the opportunity to develop their own knowledge and skills. These events have led to a strong sense of connection and commitment to education in me, which I have taken forward to my colleagues at GRD College.

Being the Director General of GRD College, what is your philosophy of leadership? How would you describe your leadership style?

As the Director General of GRD College, my leadership philosophy focuses on creating a strong learning environment, which includes the importance of excellence, innovation and growth. I believe that it is important to make students experience what they will do in the future. Education is not just about imparting knowledge; it is also about building character, thought processes and how to handle responsibilities. I encourage collaborative leadership that encourages communication, teamwork, and decision-making. This leads to the creation of a collaborative network of teachers to ensure that a wide range of needs are taken care of and have a positive impact on the institute. We are committed to continuous improvement, which is important. This includes continually evaluating and improving our teaching, service providing and management processes to improve results and get better performance from the students as well as the college.

What do you think your roles and responsibilities to the University and the students are?

As a Director, I will have numerous responsibilities. I oversee various administrative aspects of the university, like budgeting, finance, human resources, and facilities management. I also need to oversee the academic programs, course development and faculty affairs. We also need to maintain high academic standards and ensure that the courses we offer are aligned with the university's mission and accreditation requirements. Moreover, I along with the members of the management am actively involved in fundraising and providing financial support to the college. This includes building relationships with donors, alumni, parents and other funding sources. Our main motive is to enhance the student’s experience and safety by providing our students with services like counselling, career guidance, extracurricular activities, and other facilities which are essential for the students on campus.

What would you like people to know about your university they may not know? 

Our university has good courses that are highly regarded in the field of higher education and inculcate modern research, innovative courses and specialised degrees. We have a good number of alumni who have achieved notable accomplishments in their respective fields, which shows the quality of education and opportunities provided by our university. Our campus includes good facilities like modern classrooms, advanced research laboratories, a sports field, friendly management and faculty that promote the betterment of the students.

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

We try our best to provide our students with the best education and teachings so that they do not feel pressure for jobs after completing their education. Our college often holds workshops and seminars on professional development topics such as negotiation, communication, and time management to help our students develop important skills for employment. We encourage our students to participate in internship programs that can give them real-world experience, improve their skills, and increase their experience competing in the marketplace. Besides academic knowledge, we also emphasise the development of soft skills such as communication, thinking and problem-solving because these skills are useful to employers who would be providing jobs to our students. Also, we help our students connect with industry mentors who provide insight, guidance and communication, along with helping them choose better careers for themselves.

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

As the Director, I try to create a vision that is compatible with the goals and values of the organisation. This vision includes achieving academic excellence, student success, community engagement, and more. Methods for achieving these goals include strategic planning, collaboration with teachers, using new teaching methods, investing in technology and infrastructure, and designing the college culture to be supportive and student-friendly our main focus is to uplift the lives of our students through the education we provide.

What do you think should be the University’s top priority over the next 10 years?

Ten years is a long span of time but we will continue focusing on our vision and morals and will continue to operate the same way our college is performing now. We are trying to provide the best education to our students through highly qualified faculty and staff. We will further try to integrate technology into our education system through a smart class system that we are already using. We will also continue to prepare our students to meet the demands of upcoming, in-demand professions. We will work at enhancing the research area and faculty so that we can focus on areas like technology and the college environment, to upgrade the college’s reputation and help the students solve their problems. This includes attracting top faculty and it would also increase the scope of collaborative partnerships with other companies. As a fundraiser, I want to try my best to ensure that my college does not fall into a lack of monetary resources for day-to-day activities and to try to have better infrastructure.

How does the college/University enhance the skills of the faculty and prepare them according to the industry standards?

We have a team of well qualified and trained faculty members who are able to meet the industry standards. We still have to provide more training and workshops for our faculty and staff. Conferences and seminars on new teaching methods, technology tools, and modern business models are provided to help our faculty to cope with the new professional standards. These workshops help our faculty to enhance their skill and learn about the educational changes in this industry. On a regular basis, we try to take feedback from the students, alumni and parents based on the teaching of our faculty. This feedback helps in professional development and also helps the faculty to know if they need improvement or if the students are fine with the teaching provided by the faculty. 

The education systems in India and other foreign countries are structured very differently. In your experience, what can an inbound student gain from studying here in your institute/ university/ school?

The education system of India is very different from that of international universities. I can say that the education system in India is better and more developed than in other foreign countries. If we even talk about the education system in schools, the material that a foreign student learns in 9th to 10th standard is taught here in India in 6th to 7th classes. This proves that the education system in India is more advanced than comparing it to any country abroad. If we talk about GRD College, we offer quality education at a lower cost than many other countries. This includes tuition fees, hostel fees and lab fees, making it a better financial option for many inbound students. Also, all the courses we offer are in English, and we advise our students to use English more as it enhances their communication skills. We also give importance to the Indian culture and try our best to follow the methods through which our students get a good education along with a solid cultural upbringing.

As a Director General, how do you strategize about the key programs and plans for marketing and administration of your college?

We have an entire team for marketing and administration at this college. At GRD we try to conduct market research to understand potential student needs and identify trends in higher education. This includes an analysis of competing organisations, market needs and new research mechanisms. We conduct SWOT analysises to identify the organization's competitive strengths and areas for improvement. This helps to improve the marketing of our college. We also conduct curriculum development on a regular basis to update precise curriculum and industry-based programs to ensure that our students are well-prepared for their careers and the future. We also make use of platforms like social media, advertising and newspaper marketing to reach students around India, especially in the northern region.