Kanoria PG Mahila Mahavidyalaya Jaipur, Head of the Department of Psychology: Dr. Shuchi Chowdhary Interview

Dr. Shuchi Chowdhary has been working as the Head of Psychology Department at Kanoria PG Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Jaipur, Rajasthan. She has 8 years of rich experience in the teaching field. And she has done B.A. Honors, MA and PhD, all in Psychology from the University of Rajasthan as part of her education. Apart from this, she has published numerous research papers and articles in reputed journals and has also presented papers at various seminars and attended a diverse range of workshops and conferences.

Being the Department Head of Psychology, what are your roles and responsibilities towards students?

As a Head of the Psychology Department, I am primarily responsible for the effective management of faculty members and subject matter experts, development of effective teaching-learning strategies and also for the designing and delivering the best curriculum for the benefit of students.

And my main focus is to ensure that we as teachers are easily approachable by the students so that they feel comfortable and happy during their course duration and perform well in their academics and outside with flying colors.

Apart from this, I need to represent the department in academic and professional context and act as a bridge between our department and rest of the college administration to ensure a high-caliber learning environment.

How do you establish healthy relations with students and fellow faculty of your institute?

I strongly believe that fostering healthy relationships with students and faculty members requires open communication, active listening and empathy. Hence I engage myself in most of the departmental and college level meetings, conduct feedback sessions to collect thoughts and suggestions of our students and teachers and then at last social events are organized as and when required to help everyone know each other and work together. Overall, I have created a supportive and inclusive place where everyone feels valued.

In your opinion, what is the scope of psychology in India in the upcoming time?

The scope of psychology in India is expanding rapidly and new areas are continually emerging. Also, this field offers diverse career paths, research opportunities and the chance to make a positive impact on individuals and communities. Hence in my opinion, it is and will always be important for our progressive society.

How do you bring in a practical and industry oriented approach towards subjects?

In today's dynamic and cut-throat competitive world, only theoretical knowledge is not enough and gathering hands-on training to explore the real-time applications of various concepts is a must.

Therefore events and activities such as workshops, seminars, expert lectures and educational trips are conducted by our institution from time to time.

In addition to this, to help students gain hands-on experience, explore various fields of subjects and apply the classroom learning to real-world scenarios, we motivate them to do internships in reputed organizations, NGOs, special education schools and counseling centers. Lastly, Faculty Members are also asked to stay informed about the latest industry developments and integrate them into their teaching methodologies.

How do you strategize and upgrade the curriculum of your institute for the benefit of students?

While drafting and updating the curriculum of our college, we conduct thorough research about students' academic and non-academic requirements followed by goals and milestones they need to achieve at the end for a successful career. Additionally, I work with my faculty members to create detailed lessons to balance theory and practice and give the finest quality and employment oriented education to students.

How do you prepare your students to deal with the outside competitive world?

Our focus remains on providing a well-rounded education to our students in order to develop their technical, interpersonal and problem solving skills and prepare them for global competition. Apart from this, we motivate them to participate in workshops, conferences and competitions on a regular basis to gain practical exposure and enhance knowledge.

Which extracurricular activities are organized by your college to enhance the skills of students?

For the purpose of helping students acquire important academic and professional skills such as teamwork, leadership, time management and good communication, we organize a diverse range of activities including cultural events, college fest, workshops and literature fests etc. And skill enhancement courses and Diploma programs are also offered by us to students. 

And all this in return fosters a sense of community among students, helps them build long-lasting relationships with each other and explore their interests and passions for personal growth and the well-rounded personality development.

What challenges do you face in uplifting the education quality of your institute and how do you tackle them?

There are different sets of challenges which we as an educational institution face at different levels and the very first roadblock is that we do have students from a diverse range of communities and educational backgrounds, so sometimes language becomes a barrier in communication and we have to struggle to deliver the course content to them. In addition to this, many students don't attend lectures regularly, so ensuring their presence is also a hurdle for us. 

Lastly, diverse academic requirements of ambitious youths and ever changing industry demands pose a different kind of difficulty for us as we have to regularly upgrade our teaching methodologies as well as the curriculum. And to fix these issues, we have adopted a proactive approach where we collaborate with each other on a regular basis to assess and modify our teaching-learning strategies.

What approaches do you normally use apart from the curriculum to teach students?

In addition to the curriculum, our main focus remains on providing finest experiential learning and skill development opportunities to students through internships, mini-major research projects and mentorship programs.

Apart from this, we regularly conduct workshops, guest lectures and industry visits in collaboration with corporate experts to help and assist students apply their classroom knowledge in a real world context.

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

I would like to advise my dear students and ambitious youths of our society to focus on continuous learning, enhancing their soft skills and building a strong professional network, as each is necessary to have a prosperous and satisfying career. Also, stay informed about industry latest trends and keep looking for good professional development and internships opportunities where you can utilize your existing skills and develop new ones. 

Last but not the least, maintain good relations with your peers and teachers, embrace challenges, be flexible to new situations and keep a positive attitude towards life as all of this will help you to achieve your goal and enjoy a rewarding professional life.