Dr. G Shiva Kumar has been mentoring and teaching students in the pharmacy domain for more than 20 years. He is an experienced academician who has worked in various prestigious organizations in his career. 

He acquired his Ph.D. from JNTU Hyderabad and did his M.pharmacy in 2000. He is currently the principal of GITAM School of Pharmacy, Hyderabad. Dr. G Shiva Kumar is an individual who is actively involved in research and scholarly activities and has more than 32 publications to his name and published five research papers and one book on the domain of pharmacy.

GITAM Hyderabad

You held key positions at various prestigious institutions throughout your career. What is that one thing that made you excited and walk with GITAM University on the journey?

GITAM University’s quest for being unique and making a name for itself at the global level motivated me to join this prestigious university. Though I have learned a lot from my previous organizations, GITAM was a place where I found that I could apply my learning and avail opportunities to bring about positive changes.

How do you balance the needs of faculty, students, and administration as a Dean of Pharmacy?

The university takes care of such needs to a large extent. I am part of various committees where discussions about budget, accessories, infrastructural facilities, etc, are conducted and finalized. My opinions about the school receive the utmost consideration and regard.

As a Dean of school of Pharmacy what is the USP or what are the differentiating factors that make GITAM Hyd University stand out from other colleges?

World-class infrastructural facilities, trained mentors, individual mentoring of students, justified use of online teaching tools, frequent contacts with nearby industries, regular guest lectures by industry personnel, proper training and grooming of students for successful placements, involving students in community service activities, etc. are the differentiating factors that make GITAM Hyd University stand out from other colleges.

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How do you stay current with the latest trends and developments in the field of Pharmacy and incorporate them into the curriculum and programs offered by GITAM University?

The curriculum and Programme are regulated and governed by the Pharmacy Council of India. However, the latest developments in the pharma industries, as learned in the guest lectures and seminars, are also discussed. We are in the process of making a few changes in the curriculum to include certain industry-relevant subjects and practices to make our students more competent.

How well is GITAM Hyd is focusing on maintaining industry relationships with companies in order to leverage them for live projects, training, and placements for the students?

GITAM always focuses on tie-ups and collaborations with industries and research organizations to keep up with the recent developments to keep the students and faculty members updated in the best way possible. We already have MoU with UiTM, Malaysia, in which we had faculty-student and faculty exchange programs. We are in the process of making new collaborations in the times to come. Our three batches of students have completed their internships in reputed industries and hospitals in Telangana and other places. The students who have opted for placements after their graduation are successfully placed in esteemed organisations.

What measures would you take to ensure that GITAM University provides a conducive learning environment with state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure?

 Answer: State-of-the-art facilities and infrastructural requirements are well taken care of by the university. We are in the process of having the latest faculty cubicles. We have procured various sophisticated equipment which would be used for research studies.

What are the biggest challenges currently facing by Pharmacy colleges, and how do you plan to address them as a dean?

The biggest challenge faced by Pharmacy colleges is bridging the gap between the institute and the industry. The second challenge is giving proper guidance to students. In GITAM, such challenges are perceived well beforehand ,and measures are implemented to overcome them. We have tie-ups with industries, and industry personnel are our frequent guests for seminars and conferences. All our faculty members are well-experienced by prestigious institutions. Additionally, all of them are trained and guided for effective mentoring.

How would you promote experiential learning and practical application of knowledge within the College?

The practical experiments performed are explained and demonstrated by the faculty members correlating their applications at the industrial level. The students are encouraged to handle all the equipment and sophisticated instruments under the supervision of the concerned faculty member.

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What kind of steps GITAM University is taking in order to bridge the gap between academia and the real industry world?

We regularly conduct guest lectures where we invite industry personnel from India and abroad to address our students and faculty members. The recent happenings and the actual application of theoretical and practical knowledge in the industries are discussed in these guest lectures. Further, we plan to include industry personnel in our board of studies for the curriculum revision to introduce subjects relevant to the current proceedings in the industry.