Dr. Nagaraj Ramrao, an eminent academician, researcher, and able administrator, currently serves as the Vice Chancellor of Mohan Babu University in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Prof. Nagaraj Ramrao holds a PhD from Visvesvaraya Technological University. Over his career spanning more than 30 years, he has held various significant positions, including Vice Chancellor of Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education in Srivilliputtur, Tamil Nadu, Director of Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DA-IICT) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Mentor Director of Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT)-Vadodara, Gujarat, Director and Principal of The Oxford College of Engineering in Bangalore, where he also served as a Professor and Head of the ECE Department. Earlier in his career, he was a Professor and Director of the R.V. Centre for Cognitive Technologies, an R&D Center in the ECE Department at R.V. College of Engineering in Bangalore. He also worked as an Assistant Engineer at Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd and MSRIT, Bangalore. Additionally, he had several administrative assignments, such as BOE/BOS member for VTU, Bangalore University, Manipal University-MAHE, etc. Dr. Nagaraj Ramrao has served as a Principal Investigator for various completed and ongoing DRDO research projects. He has authored several research papers and articles in peer-reviewed journals and transactions and has guided numerous research scholars toward their Ph.D.

MBU - Mohan Babu University

You have held key positions in various prestigious organizations throughout your career, What is something about MBU that excited you to walk with the institution on the journey?

Before joining MBU, I held multiple administrative positions at various top institutions in the country. What particularly attracted me to Mohan Babu University in Tirupati was the opportunity to become the founding Vice Chancellor of the university. The university commenced its operations from the academic year 2022-2023. I had a clear vision in mind: to establish all the necessary processes and implement the required benchmarks essential for a new university. This prospect excited me, as I had previously undertaken a similar responsibility, when I served as the Director in charge at IIIT Vadodara, where I had the opportunity to establish everything from scratch. The advantage here at Mohan Babu University, which is sponsored by the Sri Vidyanikethan group of institutions, was that it had already established benchmarks and quality metrics, and it had garnered a strong legacy among aspirants for higher education.

What is your main emphasis, to make MBU stand out and excel in all way compared to all the other existing institutions in the country?

This university is not new, although we state that its operations began in 2022-2023. The institution has already established a legacy of providing quality higher education in this region. It's important to note that we were not starting from scratch; we already had a strong foundation in place. We have implemented similar quality initiatives, achieved good placements, and developed a strong teaching and learning infrastructure. All these elements were already in existence.

As the Vice Chancellor, my primary objective was to enhance the university's standing and make it one of the best and most distinctive institutions in this region. When I talk about uniqueness, I mean that I aimed to facilitate significant collaborations that would set this university apart. While many institutions may claim to have the best systems, my focus was on creating opportunities for valuable partnerships and collaborations that would distinguish us.

How would you balance the needs of different stakeholders, including faculty, students, alumni, donors, and the community, to ensure the university’s success and positive impact? What is the leadership style you implement in the organization?

Each stakeholder has their own aspirations. They have specific expectations: students seek certain benefits from the college, faculty members have their requirements from the institution, and parents anticipate certain outcomes. Similarly, the government and the ecosystem also have their respective expectations. In a large educational setup like mine, each of these stakeholders holds various aspirations.

Anyone who is eligible for whatever they seek knows that their requests are governed by established policies. They often refer to these policies as part of their arguments. Whether it's a Head of Department (HOD) or a dean making recommendations, they typically cite the policy. Everything we do is driven through policies.

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What are the norms or the particular strategies you follow when you’re hiring a faculty into the organization?

Faculty recruitment is always a challenge. I firmly believe that it's essential to recruit the right individuals, and sometimes not hiring anyone is also a valid option, but it's crucial not to bring the wrong person into the system. We consistently seek out the right talent to join our institution. When I have this aspiration, recruitment occurs through various avenues. Firstly, we use paper advertisements and direct calls to attract potential candidates, followed by the review of resumes and conducting interviews.

Another significant strategy I've implemented is establishing connections with top NIRF 100 institutions. These institutions serve as benchmarks in the NIRF top 100 rankings, known for their strong research programs and excellent postgraduate and Ph.D. offerings. I collaborate with them, requesting access to their databases, and become part of their recruitment network. This allows me to present our candidates to these institutions and attempt to attract as many high-quality faculty members as possible from this system.

We are in a time where the dynamics of education and industries are rapidly changing. How would you ensure that the appropriate required changes are incorporated into the curriculum of the programs offered by the institution?

All of my programs involve industry collaborations. You see, in any field of engineering, science, or technology, there is a fundamental core that holds great significance. This core is crucial because I cannot train a student or a graduate exclusively for a specific industry. Instead, my aim is to prepare students for broader, more general purposes. Simultaneously, they should possess a fundamental understanding of science, engineering, technology, or any relevant area. This foundational knowledge is essential and forms the bedrock of what a university should provide.

As you are an individual who is deeply involved in a lot of research work, How do you provide support and push the research and scholarly activities among the faculty and students within the university?

In our institution, we have a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in place. We have fostered relationships with approximately 10 different industries. Additionally, we have established a platform called V-HUB in collaboration with the government of Andhra Pradesh, which facilitates numerous exchanges and interactions.

As I mentioned earlier, and while addressing your previous question, we have a program known as a Seed Grant. This grant is provided to newcomers to support their research and related activities. It can be used for various purposes, such as purchasing databases that are useful for their research or acquiring necessary infrastructure. These resources are always available within an institution like mine, and providing hardware is not a problem, as we have a policy of continuously updating our infrastructure.

Moreover, we have a comprehensive understanding of the technical requirements for research here. To stay informed about the latest developments, one must engage in active research. You gain insight into current trends and knowledge by reading research papers and keeping up with the field. Only with this up-to-date information can you effectively deliver high-quality teaching.

What is your vision for the future as a Vice Chancellor of MBU University, in terms of enhancing the higher education offerings and improving the institution's quality?

I require my faculty, students, partners, and collaborators to actively participate in this ecosystem, which ultimately contributes to the end results that I produce. The initial outcome consists of my graduates, and the subsequent result is the type of research I'm conducting. I aim to establish our university as a prominent hub for research.

For instance, I am currently in the process of creating a data center within the university and establishing a high-performance computing lab. This means that, in this region, if someone intends to conduct research in high-performance computing, they should consider MBU as a primary partner.

This approach is not limited to specific areas. Over the next four years, I aspire to develop something akin to "Centers of Excellence." While I acknowledge that the term may sound somewhat extravagant, I prefer not to use that label. Instead, I want to be recognized as a genuine center where high-quality research and outstanding outcomes take place.