Dr. N. Sundararajan is the Head of the Department of Pharmacology at PPG College of Pharmacy. He holds a D. Pharm degree from Arulmigu Kalasalingam College of Pharmacy, and a B. Pharm and an M. Pharm degrees from Nandha College of Pharmacy in Erode, Tamil Nadu. As an Associate Professor, he has contributed his time to Karpagam College of Pharmacy and RVS College of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Moreover, he has worked as an Oncology Pharmacist at Kovai Medical Centre Hospital and Hospital Pharmacist at Alva Hospital.

Dr. N. Sundararajan regularly publishes papers in his area of expertise. Over his career, he has published eight papers in renowned journals. Moreover, he has taken part in 11 national and 3 international conferences. He holds memberships at the Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTI), the Indian Pharmacy Graduates’ Association (IPGA), and the Tamil Nadu State Pharmacy Council.

PPG College of Pharmacy

How does the program ensure that students are being prepared for the future?

We have adopted Project Based Learning (PBL) for our courses. It can be a great way to give students more ownership of their learning. Through PBL, students can explore areas of personal interest or curiosity, engage in authentic real-world learning experiences, and develop many of the necessary skills for future work. Through these experiences, students embrace a growth mindset and focus more on learning and developing their skills over time.

How did you train yourself/faculty to deliver this program to the students?

I believe that when teachers interact, it should not be limited to just their colleagues. If you can engage with colleagues from other institutions and experts from the industry, engaging with students can be an effective and practical way of exploring learning capabilities and experiences for your students.

How do you tend to build an industry connection with this program? 

We have had a study that has been undertaken to integrate two different aspects of the triple helix model: universities and industry. Special attention has been paid to the prevailing difference between the two, hampering their working as a coherent unit. To integrate the existing knowledge into the study, we proposed the Academia-Industry Collaboration Plan (AICP) design model. The model comprises processes, methods or approaches, and tools. These processes serve as a road map for third parties to establish collaboration between academia and industry.

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

In the last few years, we have seen the increasing usage of competency-based curriculum (CBC) in higher education, but that has come with various challenges facing CBC. This is largely due to its innovative approach and being a self-paced, mastery-oriented program that leverages technology to a great extent.

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

Some of the major investigation projects our students work on enable them to create their questions around a topic. In these projects, they organize and evaluate information, draw conclusions, and share results through presentations and explanations. Students may demonstrate the results of their investigations through different types of products and experiences, including the writing of a paper, the development of artwork, or oral presentations.

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

The B. Pharm is a professional and career-oriented degree. You can get a job that pays well right away after graduating. After graduating, many students select this option and begin working. Following a B. Pharma degree, you can work as an Analytical Chemist, Food and Drug Inspector, Hospital Drug Coordinator, Drug Therapist, Chemical Technician, Pharmacist, etc.