Dr. Netra Patil is the Director of the MCA degree at Sinhgad Institute of Business Administration and Research. He has 23 years of experience in the academia world. He holds an MCA, MBA and a PhD degree. Dr. Patil’s area of specialization is Maching Learning.

Sinhgad Institute of Business Administration and Research

What are the best practices in the course you’re offering?

Our course is designed as per Industry standards. The course curriculum covers all subjects that students require in the computer and IT industries. The course covers different programming languages, which would be helpful in joining the IT industry in numerous job profiles. We also have labs where students do their practicals and apply the knowledge they gain from the subjects.

Do you have any extra-curricular activities to enhance the skills of the students?

There are many extra-curricular activities in college. There is an induction program for the students when they join the college, along with cultural events and an annual sports day in which students can actively participate. We also have an alumni meet happens where students can talk with experts in the industry and learn about their experience. We have several competitions, like debate competitions, project competitions, and case study competitions. To better appreciate our culture, we also organize festivities like Ganesh Chaturti, and Shivaji Jayanti in the college.

What are your primary responsibilities and how do you balance other aspects of your job?

As the Director of the MCA course, my main role is to handle academics and the management of the department. The admissions department of MCA is completely my responsibility. I have to work for the overall development of students in terms of academic and practical experience.

How is the training of faculty done to deliver this program to the students?

All faculty members who join the college undertake the faculty refresher program during their initial days. We have also been conducting a faculty training program in which faculty who have knowledge about the subject are taught how to present their ideas. Teachers also have access to many online courses that they can join for the enhancement of their knowledge.

How did the college you inculcate Industry experience to students?

Our college has tie-ups within the industry with whom we conduct seminars and webinars. The students also complete a mandatory internship for two months where they apply the knowledge they learned from the curriculum. We have live projects and case studies that reflect the actual problems of the industry. These are some of the things we do to give industry experience to our students.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the higher education industry and how is your college addressing those challenges?

The biggest challenge in the higher education industry is providing practical exposure to students in their subject. As per the National Education Policy, the course is restricted. So, we are approaching the university to redesign the curriculum so that more quality subjects are included and to restructure the present courses. There is also a lack of earnestness among the students towards the subjects. So, we have regular interactions with students to learn about any difficulties or problems they face and try to address them.

What are your vision and mission when you join this college?

The main mission of the college is to make every student employable. We work on improving the skills of students so that when they join the industry, they do not need much training. They should be the best candidate in the industry for their desired job profile.

What are the challenges that you faced while inculcating this program or curriculum?

The students who join the college come from different backgrounds. We work on bringing the students to the same level as all the other students. Students receive an initial induction or training program that helps them learn skills to cope in college. The training and placement of each subject are our priorities, for which we develop students’ skills and make them industry ready. The overall development of students is another challenge for the department.

What are the benefits of pursuing this course?

The course gives detailed knowledge about Computer Applications. It covers all the major subjects in the computer industry. The students can learn computer languages like C, C++, and Python, and get their foundational knowledge strong. Graduates are eligible to work in any profile in the IT industry, or computer industry. Alternatively, the students can also join the research field if they want to delve deeper into a particular field.

What valuable advice would you like the students to have a prosperous career ahead?

Students should focus on improving their skills. They should learn new skills with change in time so that they can make progress in their field and remain competitive. Students should approach their teachers to have a proper discussion about which area they want to join and work hard to achieve success in their field.