Professor Paul Ansel V. is the Vice Principal of AISAT Engineering College. He is an Electronics Engineer with a teaching experience of more than two decades. His area of interest is the Internet of Things, neural networks and computer vision. He was the past Vice Chair of IEEE and is a known career guru who renders guidance to students to select courses of their choice. Professor Ansel has published a full course on Solid State Devices on YouTube for the benefit of students. He is credited with numerous publications in international and national journals. Currently, he is working on an interdisciplinary project to automate pothole filling.

Mr. Paul Ansel

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 am from an engineering background with more than two decades of experience. I always had a great interest in teaching and spreading knowledge of engineering, as quality engineers are the builders of the nation. Watching students come in as first-year students and leave on their way to full-fledged engineers keeps me going. I have spent many years in academics and can suggest various necessary academic reforms in electronics.

What is your philosophy of leadership? How would you describe your leadership style?

One of the striking leadership values that I hold is that of probably being a good listener. It is always important to meet the real needs of students, as long as it is not catering to every wish list. However, the emphasis is made on delivering only that which is relevant to help them grow into proper, holistic people.

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Any insights into how your college could be more welcoming to students of different races or economic backgrounds?

Our college has been associated with the Archdiocese of Verapoly, which reached its educational venture almost two centuries ago. About eighty percent of our students serve the coast and hilly areas of this southern state of India. In this regard, merit cum means scholarships are available for certain courses only to aid them. Besides, we offer extracurricular programs in an attempt to boost the standards of education and offer student support that includes communication and technical skill development for struggling students.

What are some plans that you are currently (or will be) designing for students?

Each college of engineering has a package menu of courses that may be taken as add-on courses and which prepares the students to fit in the industries immediately. These courses afford real- life, practical experiences and equip the students with programs that are current with market demands. As a result, incorporating these other learning pursuits into the mix can be a strategic advantage and help students to be more equipped for engineering employment opportunities that are emerging on the market.

How do you tend to establish a healthy relationship and environment in your college?

Extracurriculars and sports are our top priorities for the development of all of our students. We are blessed with twenty-three functional clubs in our institution such as Toastmasters, FM Radio, HAM, Origami, Debate and many more. These clubs provide students with diverse opportunities that would make them develop their potential interests and talents, thus contributing to the attainment of the overall goal of forming a well-rounded education. The sports activities that are available include Basketball, Cricket, Football, Badminton, Swimming and Diving.

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

This year, we are proud to present a new B.Tech. program in Computer Science and Engineering with specialization in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. The other programs we have, are accredited by the NBA. We are also on the right trajectory towards getting more autonomy and acting as a hub for research. We incubate up to 20 start-ups and we continue to source for partners to build more industry incubation and innovation labs in our university.

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

Our faculty is strongly encouraged to carry out research projects and all the necessary facilities and support are offered to them to assist them during the preparation of their publications of their research papers in journals and conferences that are highly reputed. We also help students gain admission to certification programs and other higher learning programs in cutting-edge areas including Artificial intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data science. Faculty members are also assisted in joining national and international conferences so that they can be in touch with the latest developments and people from the field.

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

Several students nowadays base their choice of courses on trends. However, relying solely on trends may not always be beneficial. Therefore, it is always important to consult experts before finalising a course to understand what you can expect at graduation and not just at the time of joining the course. In our college, we offer professional career counselling and counselling services for students through a team of expert faculty members and are not restricted to only engineering courses.