Anil Kumar Das has been working as the Head of Chemistry Department at Sir Ganesh Dutt Memorial College, Patna, Bihar and he is associated with the college since 1990. He has done B.Sc in Chemistry, M.Sc and PhD, all from Mithila University as part of his education. Also, he has 30+ years of rich experience in the education sector.

Sri Ganesh Dutt Memorial College

What strategies have you implemented to have an engaging and interactive learning environment for your department students?

It is a well-known fact that a delightful and synergetic environment is very essential for students to gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of a subject and also to develop skills needed to be successful. Therefore, as a Department Head, I have implemented several key approaches and the very first strategy is that I use real-time case studies, scenarios and simulations while teaching students so that they can understand how the information they are consuming is applied to the real world.

Along with this, I encourage group activities as it is an effective way to teach the importance of teamwork and collaboration to young students. So what I usually do is I divide students into small groups and assign them a task or problem to solve in order to help them learn from each other and build strong relationships. And technology has always been an inseparable component of the education domain, hence I use various kinds of digital tools, online learning modules and virtual simulations to make students aware about emerging technologies and deliver them content they can easily understand.

Last but not the least, we are using the concepts of flipped classrooms, active and problem-solving learning followed by gamification to motivate students and provide them a focused, interactive and engaging environment to learn, grow and innovate.

How do you incorporate evidence-based practice in your teaching methodologies?

For me being a Teacher, it is very important to apply Evidence Based Practices into my teaching pedagogies to ensure that my students are learning through the most up-to-date information, hence I use the latest available research while designing my lesson plans and study materials.

Apart from this, I regularly motivate my students to critically think about the research they are reading and how exactly it applies to practice. And this is only to make them capable enough of making informed decisions while providing care to patients.

I also use real-time case studies to help my students understand how EBP is applied in practice and can improve patients outcomes.

Lastly, I collaborate with Top-notch healthcare professionals on a regular basis to make sure that my teaching methods are compliant with the latest standards, trends, practices and needs of Medical world.

How do you usually assess and evaluate the knowledge and academic progress of your students?

I believe, for me, assessing and evaluating the knowledge and academic progress of my students from time to time is very crucial in order to ensure that they are fulfilling the learning objectives and are well-prepared to enter into the professional world of Chemistry. Hence I regularly give assignments to students, conduct quizzes and use case studies during lectures to identify any possible gaps in their subject understanding and provide timely feedback.

In addition to this, at the end of every semester, projects are assigned to students and exams are conducted to verify if they are able or not to apply their classroom learning to real world scenarios. Other than this, Clinical Evaluations are also an important pillar of assessing students academic progress, hence I use it to observe them during clinical rotations and provide feedback about their overall performance.

I also encourage my students to self-scrutinize their learning progress and identify improvement areas and I believe the feedback I provide to them also plays an important role in figuring out their strengths and weaknesses. 

Last but not the least, I foster the ambiance of collaborative learning in classrooms to make sure students learn from each other and share their knowledge and experience for a good cause.

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Any valuable advice which you would like to share with the students for a prosperous career ahead?

I would like to advise my dear and ambitious students to hunt for opportunities that align with their talents and interest areas and follow their passion while choosing a career. Because when we do the things we are truly passionate about, we will definitely find a fulfilling career and will excel in it. 

Apart from this, I would suggest they embrace lifelong learning and have a growth mindset, because the world is continuously evolving and to survive in this cut-throat competitive world, staying up-to-date with the latest industry trends and emerging technologies is very essential.

For the purpose of enhancing their knowledge, they should participate in workshops, seminars, professional development programs and also pursue online certification courses. Investing their precious time in developing a strong professional network, attending corporate events, joining professional organizations and connecting with professionals from the same field could prove to be a blessing for young and innovative minds in creating a thriving career for themselves by providing them new opportunities and valuable insights of the industrial world. Apart from this, young students should develop domain specific and transferable skills such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, adaptability and leadership that are highly sought after by employers and are valued across industries.

Last but not the least, don't be afraid of taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone to do new adventures, because challenges and setbacks are inevitable, but acts as an improvement pillar.

How do you maintain a culture of research and innovation within the department?

I firmly believe that establishing a suitable environment for research and innovation is very important for getting advanced knowledge of a field and enhancing the educational experience of students. Hence to enforce this kind of ambiance in our college, we have established Research Committees, allocated dedicated resources and also provided mentorships to faculty members and students who are fond of conducting research and innovating new things. Along with this, we actively promote collaborations both within the department and with external institutions and industry partners, to facilitate interdisciplinary research projects. 

Other than this, I encourage my faculty members to find out external funding opportunities, such as grants and fellowships, to support their research endeavors and suitable forums, joint clubs and platforms have been setup on campus to conduct seminars and conferences to facilitate the dissemination of research findings of a culture of scholarly discourse within the department. 

Lastly, faculty members and students are motivated to explore entrepreneurial opportunities, collaborate with industry partners for product development, and engage in initiatives that bridge the gap between academia and industry. 

Being the Head of the Chemistry Department, what are your core responsibilities towards students?

As a Head of the Chemistry Department, my prime responsibility is to supervise and monitor the daily operations of our department, define strategic goals for students and teachers development and manage resources and budget. Apart from this, I am responsible for coordinating with other departments, and ensuring the department's overall success.

How do you create a positive and productive work environment within the Chemistry department?

I strongly believe in the culture of open communication and collaboration, hence to promote a positive and productive work ambiance on campus, I regularly encourage my team members to share their ideas and concerns through a transparent, trustworthy and respectful communication channel and also to provide their valuable support and guidance to their fellow faculties and students. Along with this, recognizing, appreciating and rewarding achievements of our students and teachers through awards also helps us to have a healthy working-learning culture. 

Additionally, I strive to lead by example and hence maintain transparent and effective channels of communication so that people's grievances can be addressed and resolved on time.

How do you prioritize and allocate resources effectively to fulfill everyone's academic needs within your department?

I firstly conduct a thorough research about the short and long-term goals of our department and then align each with available resources. Apart from this, I analyze project needs and then assess the importance and urgency of tasks, and allocate resources accordingly. Regular monitoring and evaluation allows me to make adjustments as needed to ensure optimal resource utilization.

How do you handle conflicts or disagreements within your department?

It's well known that to maintain a harmonic work environment, timely conflict resolution is very important. Hence, when I address any kind of conflict or disagreement among my team members or between students and teachers, I encourage open dialogue to understand perspectives of both sides and find a common ground to facilitate resolution. And if required, I even play the role of mediator by involving relevant parties to arrive to a mutually acceptable conclusion that benefits the department and the individuals involved.