Mr. Uttam Kumar Nayak is an associate professor and, at present, Head of the Department at the HGEA College of Pharmacy, Ranchi. Mr. Nayak has done his undergrad studies by earning a B.Pharma. and a master’s degree in M.Pharma. He has over two years of experience in his industry.

Mr. Uttam Kumar Nayak

Being a Faculty of the HGEA, Ranchi, what are your roles and responsibilities toward the students?

As faculty members, we all have the responsibility of teaching. Most teachers today concentrate on the research part of the fields. However, we must remember that they are teachers for what they do. They must treat classroom teaching as their main responsibility, which is what I do.

When you first came to this college, what was your vision for the university? Has it evolved over time, and how far along in implementing that vision are you?

My vision has always been to coordinate teaching with the everyday experiences of life. I do not rely on bookish knowledge to teach my classes. I relate the course material with real-life case studies and industry problems to help my students develop problem-solving skills. My philosophy of teaching is guided by experience rather than learning from books.

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

Building healthy relationships among all college stakeholders is important for us. We do that by communicating to them not to be so critical of each other but to try and listen to each other. Teachers are taught to understand the psychology of the students as a parent would. Similarly, we teach the students to not hesitate to approach us for any issue or problem they might face.

Check HGEA College of Pharmacy, Bokaro Courses & Fees 

How do you help your students to cope with the competitions being so high in the outside world?

I always tell my students that they deserve to get what they desire, but they have to make themselves competent to get it. You need to make yourself eligible for the competition. For this, we have introduced soft skills training and language training classes to help our students match up to their competition. We also focus on inculcating a winning attitude in our students.

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

Our biggest challenge is the rising number of students every academic year, but the infrastructure and facilities do not match up. We need to improve our education and develop our classrooms and laboratories to be world class where students can study comfortably in. We also need to have more experienced faculty members who are able to bring industry experience to the classroom.

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

Young people today live in a time of rapid technological advancements and information revolution. It’s important to be conscious of the concerns and issues around you and contribute to society. Whether you're pursuing an engineering or medical degree, remember to give back to society and help those in need. Take the time to make a positive impact.