Mr. Ajay Gupta is the Academic Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Science at Lucknow Public College of Professional Studies. He holds an M.Sc. in Computer Science along with an MCA and an M.Phil. degree. Mr. Gupta has over 20 years of teaching experience and his research area is in management information systems.

Lucknow Public College of Professional Studies

What inspired you to pursue a career in higher education administration, and what drew you to your current role as Counsellor/Admission Head/Academic Coordinator?

I wanted to be in academia, and I found the job of a teacher very inspiring. For higher education, the administration offers many ways for me to use my unique talents to support students and improve educational institutions. The administration department is a very important part of any institution, and as an academic coordinator of Science, I aim to solve issues related to my department and students and provide opportunities to students for their future and career building.

What do you see as the biggest challenges facing higher education today, and how do you think your institution is addressing those challenges?

I feel that one of the biggest challenges that we are facing in higher education is student retention and completion rates. Another challenge is the faculty shortage, and sometimes we face the problem of retaining well qualified faculty members. We are working actively towards these challenges while providing state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure to our students and research opportunities for the teachers.

Can you describe any specific measures or programs that your institution has implemented to address the rising mental health issues and stress among students in India?

Our college aims to make learning effective and engaging. For this, we have various co-curricular activities. We organise fests and various competitions where students can showcase their talents. For better mental health of the students, we have a program in all departments that keeps on organising workshops for students.

What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing a career in higher education administration and how do you see the field evolving in the years to come?

There are many challenges that higher education is facing nowadays. Everyone wants to earn money as early as possible. I would just suggest students to pursue higher education, as it opens them up to a variety of job opportunities, careers, and even entrepreneurship. In the coming years, there will be many well-qualified and learned people, but higher education will set you apart. Research is also evolving and will do wonders in the coming years.

What new initiatives and collaborations has the University established with Industry Leaders to promote industry-specific courses?

Our college has a unique feature where we maintain records of students’ successes called the Student Focused Approach Nurturing Talent. It is issued every year, keeping a record of how many students are placed. Our approach is student-based. In the Rashtriya Job Fair 2022 at our campus, out of 1800+ registered students, 800+ students were placed. Many MNCs, like Aditya Birla, Axis Bank, Byju’s, Mahindra, ICICI, HCL, and many more, marked their presence on the campus. We also provide international exposure to students. Recently, we organised the XeniuM International 4.0, an international fest to provide students with a stage where they can sharpen their skills and talents at the international level.

Check Lucknow Public College of Professional Studies Faculty

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

I would suggest students to work hard and efficiently. Be sharp with your talents and also keep upskilling and keep learning. Higher education will provide many opportunities and gain knowledge which will help you in career building.

What were the challenges that you faced while inculcating this program in your curriculum? 

There have been challenges when creating our program. The biggest challenge would be making the students aware of this program and encouraging them to take admission. Once admitted, we had to work at getting the desired work or output from them. Students are very creative and smart, but they do need exposure and help to polish their skills and talents. 

What are the types of projects that the students are working on through this program?

We have different clubs where students can showcase their talents and take part in extracurricular activities. We have an artificial intelligence club as well. Our college provides a platform for students to publish their research papers and also conducts conferences. Recently, we organised a three-day international conference on “Educational Research in Science, Management, and Humanities IC-ERSMH 2023” from 19th – 21st October 2023.

What are the benefits and career options after pursuing this course?

In this era, the Science field is doing wonders. We have artificial intelligence, robotics, and many more new concepts in science that are creating innovations and products. Students can get opportunities to grow in higher education, take part in research fields, and work in laboratories. Here they will be working on new innovations, which they can only add to in terms of career options later on.

What are the factors that make this program the best for the students to opt?

This program gives immense career options to students. One important thing that accounts for the success of this program is the enthusiasm of students in their areas of interest. I would say our college provides all necessary facilities to students, and from admission to placement, our faculty members always guide students and help them with every difficulty.