Dr. S. Gopalakrishnan is a Professor and the Head of the Department of Commerce at East Point College of Higher Education in Bengaluru. He has 26 years of national, international, academic and industry experience in the area of Commerce and Management. His research contributions include an ICSSR funded project on Waste Management executed for two years with a funding of 86 lakhs, a funded seminar conducted on Waste management sponsored by ICSSR, a lecture series with funding assistance from the NCW (National Commission for Women), execution of conferences, and FDPs. Dr. Gopalakrishnan has also published seven books and more than 30 articles in SCOPUS, SCI and many UGC care listed journals. Additionally, he has acted as a resource person for several conferences and seminars where he addressed the students and faculty members on various topics in the Social Sciences.

East Point Group of Institutions

What is the primary purpose of pursuing higher education?

An undergraduate degree is a minimum requirement for anyone to seek a job or to make a career in any field for the livelihood of every individual. East Point College of Higher Education strives to enhance the skills and knowledge of students in acquiring specialized knowledge and skills, career advancement, personal growth and development, research and innovation, cultural and social enrichment, global citizenship, problem solving and critical thinking and contributing to society. 

What are the challenges faced by students in higher education today?

The biggest challenges faced by Indian students today are accessibility and affordability. Accessibility of higher education to a varied range of students is a persistent challenge due to rising tuition costs and financial barriers. East Point College of Higher Education makes it possible for all students, regardless of their socioeconomic background, to receive various scholarships. Another major challenge faced by students is the digital divide or the shift to online learning. Students don’t have access to reliable internet and technology, which prevents them from gaining the required exposure and causes them great difficulty in learning. East Point College of Higher Education provides WIFI facilities to all students that are available throughout the campus.

What do you think sets your institution apart from other colleges and universities?

As per the statements made by corporate HR, only 25 percent of all students are employable due to the gap between the academic curriculum and industry expectations. At East Point College of Higher Education, besides the university curriculum, students are provided with value-added programmes that would make them industry-ready by eliminating the gap between academia and industry requirements. These value-added programmes include technical and domain-based topics in the areas of ICT (Information and Computer Technology) Software, Hardware and applications of the technology, Commerce, Management, Finance, and Human Resources. They also cover soft skill training such as communication skills, attitude building, team building, aptitude test coaching and interview handling techniques. Students are also encouraged to do internships, summer programs, and online MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) courses from NPTEL, Coursera and EDX.

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What are the learning desires and outcomes or expectations of students?

A bachelor's degree qualification is the minimum requirement, but many higher education administrators hold master's degrees with some skill based certifications. East Point College of Higher Education offers a variety of higher education courses in UG and PG programmes in Commerce, Management and Computer Applications. During your graduation, be open and utilise the opportunities to gain expertise in your domain. Develop your soft skills, build a professional network, stay focused in a particular area with expertise, stay informed about the trends in your area of focus, and involve yourself in research by participating and presenting papers in seminars. Look for opportunities to publish articles in journals, register for patents, develop startups utilizing the incubation cell of the institution and be adaptable to changes. East Point College of Higher Education provides opportunities for achieving all of the above through various national and international level events and programmes organized for students.

How are you balancing your responsibilities and the other aspects of the job as a Dean/ HOD?

The primary responsibilities of a Head of Department includes academic leadership, ensuring suitable curriculum development, programme assessment, faculty management, student affairs and research and development. I also ensure that effective time management and delegation would help in balancing other responsibilities like budget and resource management, strategic planning, accreditation and compliance, community engagement, use of technology and collaborations.

What would you advice the youth and students to achieve success?

Learning is a never ending process. Continuously seek knowledge, both in and out of the classroom. Be curious about learning new things and explore ways to implement your learning on suitable occasions. Success often requires persistence and resilience and one should not get discouraged by setbacks. Failures are opportunities to learn and grow. Learn to go forward, even when things get difficult. East Point College of Higher Education provides plenty of opportunities to participate in various activities in several areas, like academics, sports, cultural, research, NCC, NSS and many co-curricular and extracurricular activities.