Monalisa Biswal is a visiting faculty of Printing Press at the Utkal University of Culture. She is presently pursuing her PhD from Utkal University and has a Master in Fine Art from Indira Kala Sangeet Biswavidyalaya,Chhattisgarh. She has done solo Art Galleries and participated in many national camps and exhibitions across the nation. Miss Biswal has received the Governor Sanman at Governor House on the occasion of Azadi ki Amrit Mahostav, 2022. Furthermore, she has experience at Sundergarh Art and Craft College for two years and as a lecturer at the Department of Printmaking of Utkal University of Culture,Bhubaneswar from July 2010.

Utkal University of Culture

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

There's a lot to teach in the printing press, including litho, stencils and woodcut. Nowadays we also have laser engraving, which the university has been slow to prove these, but we do have industry visit sessions and workshops to educate students on these new techniques. Camps are organised at the national level and state levels.

Our students even received three national scholarships before the Covid pandemic due to these efforts.

Check Utkal University Of Culture - [UUC], Bhubaneswar - Course & Fees Details

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

At first, when I joined in 2010, there were only six seats. Gradually we bought proper machines a year later, one etching and one litho press. It was a challenge managing with these machines. As our department ventured into manual printmaking, and steadily our strength grew, we were able to get over 16 machines. Painting is relatively easy, but printmaking is a labour intensive process yet students who enter this field are very eager to learn and apply. The end results may vary but they are encouraged to be astray from the path upto some degree.

How does UUC enhances the skills of the faculty and prepares them according to the industry standards? 

The university has given us a lot of support but again it is not enough. Funds are late but they keep proving us slowly and steadily. Student development is what drives teacher development in any university. However, we do receive opportunities to participate in various camps and galleries to upskill ourselves.

Check Utkal University Of Culture (UUC), Bhubaneswar Admission 2023: Ph.D. Admission, Reservation

What do you see as UUC’s greatest strengths?

Our new campus is the first one, previously we had very small rooms and now we have shifted into larger areas with lots of space to accommodate everyone. Additionally, we are one of the only universities that provide and even affiliates with other similar disciplinary universities specifically for artists.

How did UUC operate during COVID 19 and what strategies were formulated and used to keep education ongoing? Is any of those strategies still in effect?

We conducted online classes, but as this was not very practical and without press machines it was a big challenge. Students did not give up and started to construct makeshift machines on their own to keep their education ongoing. I think this is a wonderful display of our Indian way of doing things at a cheap and efficient rate.

Check Utkal University Of Culture - [UUC], Bhubaneswar - Placement Details And Companies Visiting

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

I would advise students to put in the work. Be present in the studios and keep practising. The moment you lose track of your goals, you lose in life. Learning is a never ending process and one must follow through with it.