Prof. M. Potharaju is the Registrar at the Apollo University. He has been in academics and administration for over three successful decades. Before joining The Apollo group, he worked as Registrar for a fruitful decade of GITAM Deemed to be University, Visakhapatnam. In this very challenging and fulfilling assignment, he has endeared himself to various sections of the academic community. As a Distinguished Professor, one of the rarest honors conferred on a teacher of eminence, Prof Potharaju has to his credit fifteen years’ service as Professor. Prof. Potharaju has a consistently brilliant academic record – First Class in B.E in Civil Engineering, Distinction in M.Tech in and PhD in Structural Engineering. His broad areas of research interest include Fire Resistant Concrete, Geopolymer Concrete, Recycled Aggregate Concrete, Ternary Mixes, and Alternate Building Materials. Prof. Potharaju has thirty years of teaching experience and two decades of rich research exposure, as reflected in the 62 publications – National and International and seminar papers and conferences. In addition, he has completed eight research projects funded by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), the University Grant Commission (UGC), and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

Apollo University

In your 30+ years of experience in academia, what is something about Apollo University that excited you to come along with the institution on the journey?

Apollo University’s unwavering commitment to innovative pedagogy in education at the intersection of health is the main excitement for me. The institution’s vision to create knowledge, global leaders, and thought leadership for the future, empowering the learners to build a healthier and more equitable society was a compelling reason for me to join this exciting journey. Some of the innovative pedagogies include the usage of simulators, internships, and blended learning.

As various stakeholders like students, Faculty, and management have different needs and requirements, how do you ensure that the administration department provides a smooth experience to everyone within the organization?

To ensure a seamless experience for all stakeholders, we adopt a transparent and multifaceted approach. Participative management is put in place in taking any decision. The stakeholders like students, faculty ,parents and industry representatives in almost all the decision-making bodies and operating wings. To name a few students, faculty and industry are part of the Academic Council and Board of studies at the University level. The faculty and students are members in the Academic Monitoring Committees and Department committees at the department level.

The campus is made as a fully digital campus. All the stakeholders can access the information and give the feedback with a click of a button. In addition , feedback is periodically taken from the stakeholders to fill any gaps and to assure smooth experience in administration.

What are the aspects that Apollo University is focusing on, in terms of enhancing its culture and environment within the university?

The University has been focusing on creating a conducive environment for the learners to pursue their career since inception. The University focuses on inducing all-round personality among the learners. The student-centric approach is the main motto of the University. Encouraging the students in the institution of student clubs is the major step in this direction. All these clubs headed by the students and nurtured by faculty created a vibrant atmosphere in the campus and paved a way for the students to pursue their dream goal beyond the classroom. For instance an innovation club has given an opportunity to do multi disciplinary projects with students from different streams joining hands. The introduction of the University level electives since first year itself gave an impetus for the learners to think beyond their major. These electives cover a wide range of cross discipline courses such as Languages, health sector, skilling, cosmetics, leadership , gender development, etc. The learners could able to plan pursuing their dream career from the first year itself.

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What kind of various career growth support systems is Apollo University providing to its students, in terms of career assistance and guidance?

Apollo University offers comprehensive career growth support systems to its students. A separate career counseling cell is established to guide them in pursuit of their dream. A comprehensive placement program is put in place from the first semester starting from Communicative English course to exclusive training course on the domain specific. This paves a clear path for the students to achieve their dream offer. In addition, the University is aggressively collaborating with many top 100 ranked global universities such as RWTH, Germany, University of New South Wales, Australia, etc. to establish a clear pathway to pursue higher education. The innovation club is organizing several orientation programs on entrepreneurship development for the benefit of the aspiring entrepreneurs.

Can you throw some light on how the student and campus life experience is going to be for the students who are aspiring to join Apollo University?

At Apollo University, students are assured of a vibrant and enchanting campus life experience. The university provides very good sporting facilities, a wide range of student clubs, variety of housing facilities and food courts assuring a joyful social life in the campus. The students will enjoy the company of multi-linguistic and multi national peers, The Apollo University being a multi disciplinary University offering many 3+1 and 2+1 student exchange programs. The automation of the campus eases their learning as it ensures digital learning and addresses many of their concerns. The ambience and the culture of learning created in the campus is the main source of attraction for any promising learner.

Can you explain to us about the prominence Apollo University gives in developing and improving its infrastructure?

Apollo University is committed to provide excellent infrastructure, be it academic space, laboratory space, sports infrastructure and social infrastructure. The university continually enhances its infrastructure to meet the demand. Cutting-edge technology and sustainable practices are integrated into campus development. The university also focuses on creating comfortable and aesthetically pleasing environments for students, with well-maintained living accommodations, recreational areas, and sports facilities. This commitment to infrastructure improvement ensures a conducive and pleasant learning environment for all students. The University is committed to establish an incubation center of high standards in collaboration with foreign universities especially in the area of health.

What is your vision for the coming year as a registrar of Apollo University?

As the Registrar of Apollo University, my vision for the coming year is to enhance the learning experience of our students. In pursuit of this, we encourage the students to participate in more outreach and community service programs. More attention will be paid to the overall personality development of students. The faculty will be encouraged to do research in the transdisciplinary areas with the financial assistance form national and international funding agencies. The university will continue to collaborate with top 100 ranked global Universities to expose the faculty and students to the best brains.