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“We do see this is the reason, we keep maintaining that we are not an education institution just for employment but it is for empowerment,” says Prof. M. Muruganant, Provost, Adani University, Ahmedabad in an interview with Chandan Anand, Founding Editor, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘ArdorComm New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2022’ #ELSAGujarat #ELSAAhmedabad Would like to understand more about your university, what your university is doing how its multi-disciplinary and in multi divisions you are working? See we being I would say Green Field University we’re fairly new into the university world and so we had the leverage of implementing NEP modules from the very start itself. Multi-disciplinary as we see we have several disciplines which find confluence but we have programs not just as a degree programs but research programs wherein the students can take projects at the boundaries of disciplines so that the disciplinary boundaries can be blurred off and it can be transdisciplinary and the other the best point of our university is that we also get projects live from corporate and so any problem is always transdisciplinary a problem is never a disciplinary problem right and so we find a confluence there. As most of the curriculum or the pedagogy which we see is driving, wants to become a normal a professional employee what about giving an exposure to the students opting for entrepreneurship? We do see this is the reason we keep maintaining that we are not an education institution just for employment but it is for empowerment. Yes, when we say we are for empowering individuals and empowered individuals can be a perfect employee or become a perfect employer and the employers are the ones whom we call as entrepreneurs because they actually take to innovative ways and means to start addressing societal problems right and that is something which from the day one of entering our institution we encourage for them to deal with societal problems and start handling that. So, in that way a new approach of engagement and then contribution happens. In what ways Industry ready curriculum is important and what ways you are implementing that in your university? Okay see what happens is when the student from the time the student is onboarded they start interacting with Industries and they have several engagements it could be internships it could be projects or they could be actually working with real-time projects and that’s a big benefit that we have that we have huge businesses across diverse portfolios and the students can choose which portfolio actually they want to go and work. It could be infrastructure it could be energy it could be technology it could be you know Healthcare or Advanced Manufacturing Systems. We have it all running in businesses including our focus is sustainability and so we are a huge contributor to Green energy right and the renewable energy solar energy so students get to see it all happening whether it is sports or the transport industry everywhere. As the event names also shows that it’s a New Normal Education Leadership Summits and Awards, how would you define new normal? New Normal is not just employment it’s empowerment, all right so I keep maintaining the stand that when we are focused on translating information to implementation and we transcend the silos of disciplines and mental conditionings and we enable transformation of the student as a person and their contribution to the nation through the societal transformation. So, the 3T model which I always advocate which is translation then transcending and transformation. This are the three principal models which is already finding expression in our system and that’s a new normal I would say where technology finds natural confluence in the presence and we have sustainability. I’m happy and glad to share that we recently celebrated our first anniversary and the year of existence of one and a half years has been very thrilling very exciting especially in this covid times, any message would you like to give for ArdorComm Media Group? Well such platforms enable us to come together on the various portfolios, from Industries and Academia or the policy makers now we come together on this platform and we meet greet and not stop there but then we have a joint collaboration happening. The first point here again is cooperation that happens in such platforms and that’s exactly what you guys are creating you know a platform for cooperation to start and then we start collaborating. So, this is a seed place where we start cooperating right and I wish many more such events you make and more focused events also would be great.

“It is rightly said nothing is permanent but change what education was a decade back or two decades back has completely changed,” says Prof. Ami U. Upadhyay, Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University in an interview with Chandan Anand, Founding Editor, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘ArdorComm New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2022’ #ELSAGujarat #ELSAAhmedabad Would you like to put some light on the way you are taking the leadership of this University and what are the few important works as a case study which you like to share with us? First of all, when we talk about the leadership, team matters a lot I would say as a leader that I have been blessed with a wonderful team at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar State Open University. I very strongly believe that being in education since more than two decades that education can bring very positive change in the society so when we talk about the social development, economic development or national development education is destined to play very important vital role. When we talk about the role that I played in my Institute or my Institute played a certain role in society in Gujarat State I would say ours is the only State Open University, after 28 years recently we went for the first NAAC cycle and we are the first State Open University in India and First State University in Gujarat to be accredited with A++ and the credit goes to team BOU and a lot of initiatives that we have taken up understanding the true essence of education that I think have played vital role. What’s the blend of digital education and the traditional education in your University? It is rightly said nothing is permanent but change what education was a decade back or two decades back has completely changed. As an open University I would say that digital education plays vital role at a university I’ll give example of our university only that we have our own indigenous MOOC platform named as Omkar E, UGC has Swayam in the same way with four quadrants we have this particular MOOC platform so our courses are available on those platforms also we have a platform all digital books textbooks are available free of cost on that particular platform we have our own community radio working wonderfully for the community around the university. So, we are very active on social media be it be telegram Facebook and Instagram we have been and I think digital is New Normal for learners today so obviously the educational institute will have to understand that aspect of education. So, what does the word new normal for you stands? You see when we say new normal, New Normal is a not a particular milestone or a particular place it is a continuous process. Just think of it that before 20 years, long back pager was a new normal then mobile was a new normal now you know it keeps on changing. So, new normal is today something else tomorrow it will be something else and after tomorrow something else. Obviously after Corona we have understood new normal in particular since then now physically things are possible but I would say this phrase new normal keeps on changing be it be thought process of an individual, be it education system be it technology anything it keeps on changing. We have all gathered here we’ve been witnessing that there are the players from the government fraternity, from the private sector the edtech players the corporate, what should be the outcome of certain forums? From your question I’m reminded of my childhood when all of us used to play with jigsaw puzzle you know there will be a piece we will have a complete picture on a page and then the pieces of that game and we used to put those particular pieces at its right place to create a completely right picture. I think be it be Educational Institute, individual human beings, learners, edtech, government policy makers all of them are very important pieces of this jigsaw puzzle and when all of us become active very focused very result oriented and very importantly work together for the same kind of destination we can create the right picture of education, I very strongly believe. I’m proud to say that we have recently completed our one year of existence and we celebrated our anniversary any message would you like to give for ArdorComm Media Group? When you talk about new normal and we talked about nothing is permanent but change I feel always that ArdorComm should keep on working on continuous communication because at a point of time when communication stops or that order that passion seizes, things will not move forward so I would convey that I would very strongly say that passionately continue this communication. Let there be lot of difference in the means of communication and the messages that are being communicated wish you very all the best.  

“I always tell to the students that don’t ask the question why, ask the question why not and come out with more and more ideas of innovations and it plays a huge role,” says Parth Kotecha, Trustee & Associate Vice President, Noble University, Junagadh in an interview with Chandan Anand, Founding Editor, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘ArdorComm New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2022’ #ELSAGujarat #ELSAAhmedabad Would you like to elaborate and give light about your institutes and universities? Yes, Noble University we started way back in 2007 in these 15 years we have achieved many milestones and this year on this 31st March we got an approval of a university. We have 6 000 students in the campus and 350 plus professors, teachers we have in a university we are working day in and day out for the students we want that they should come out they stand on their feet to get a job or to start their new work it’s up to them but we are providing the platform and we are making that practical work which we give them what they study in their textbooks apart from textbooks we are allowing them to go on the field to bring their new ideas and we are always encouraging the new research and innovations. We ask students that you come out with your new ideas we are there for you and will definitely help you for this. In University level especially for higher education how does the research and skilling play a role and how you are implementing that in your University? I always tell to the students with an example that Google was just a PhD project for Larry Page and Sergey Brin when they’re doing their PhD in the Stanford University so if you take such kind of initiatives you don’t know that your PhD project can become your startup. But the thing is that we still go with our old habits of writing assignments one day before submitting from our seniors and each and every one of us knows this and we also accept it. We want you to come out with your ideas, your innovations, your research whatever going through your mind so that’s why I always tell to the students that don’t ask the question why, ask the question why not and come out with more and more ideas of Innovations and it plays a huge role. I always tell that India is being known as The Sleeping Giant of Asia just because of research and innovations. In 2020 top 200 universities of the world in that list we were not there in any of those top 200 universities why because we are not, our research is being for the academic journals which is being there and it is not there in the use. So, research innovations are very much important to develop a nation and an individual. The event name is New Normal Education Leadership Summit and Awards according to you what does the word New Normal stands for? First of all, I would like to thank ArdorComm Media Group because organizing such events bringing this many people at one platform it’s in real a challenging task. They must have been working day in and day out since months or more than a month and new normal for me is to be on your own feet on your own ideas to be an individual with responsibility and come out with our old system and make sure that we give space to each and every student. I just told in the inaugural session that we are not using the cell phone which we used to have 10 years ago so according to me this new normal means that you bring out your idea we give space to the students and they come out with more and more innovations and research. I would also be very happy to share with you that recently we have completed our one year of existence and it has been a wonderful journey, any message would you like to give for ArdorComm Media? My message is that keep doing the work that you are doing and you’ve told that you don’t have a physical office that’s a very good idea and the work the staffing which we called in our HR System that the work for which the person is being meant you are giving the same work to them same thing should happen in the education system also. We cannot ask the fish to climb a tree they are made to swim in the water so you have this first year but many more years to go and I wish all the very best to the entire team good luck.

“SAT exam is taken by students across the world we cater to more than 7 million students every year through this particular exam,” says Meenakshi Kachroo Chatta, Senior Director, South and Central Asia, The College Board in an interview with Chandan Anand, Founding Editor, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘ArdorComm New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2022’ #ELSAGujarat #ELSAAhmedabad Would you like to highlight a bit more about the services which the organization is having in The College Board? Sure, so College Board is a hundred-year-old organization we started in 1900 and we are headquartered in the US, New York and outside the US, India is the only office that we have. So, College Board is the owner and the makers of the SAT or as we call it in India the SAT exam and the advanced placement program. What has been the USP of the services or the product which you have and do you cater to the school as well as higher education both? Yeah, College Board like I told you is the maker of the SAT exam. SAT exam is taken by students across the world we cater to more than 7 million students every year through this particular exam. SAT is given in grade 11 or 12 by students and this is taken so that they can have a smooth transition to higher ed universities and SAT store is also now acceptable by the Indian University so 54 Indian universities are giving admissions to students based on the SAT score so one SAT test and students can go and get enrolled in either any other universities abroad or in India. What are the criteria of any of the institution when they enrol with any of the technology partners like you? So, we have something called as the attending institution or the AI code. It’s a six-digit code that the schools or the universities need to have so this is free of charge we invite schools and universities to partner with us so that the students can benefit. There’s this very small form that the schools need to fill up once they do it ETSR partner they do the due diligence and they see whether a school is fit for level 1 or level 2 code. In case they are fit for level 2 code the schools can not only conduct the PSAT exam but also become a digital SAT test centre, they can also become an AP test centre. How many schools or higher educations are as in your partner list or you are catering to overall in the India market? So, in India we are working with more than 500 schools who are direct partners with college board and we are working with 54 universities like I said they’re accepting the SAT scores. I want to understand that you have been a part of this event we are seeing the conferences going on we have an exhibition area where the many companies are displaying their products and services, what is an outcome which you think such events and forums should give and what is the learning from such events? Yeah, the event is good we met few school partners and we hope to meet more university partners tomorrow. So, the school groups like Kalorex group or DPS are already our existing partners and it’s great to meet them out here as well in person and similarly other prospective partners that we have. Any message would you like to give to ArdorComm Media Group? This is all good and we hope to be with you next year as well thank you.  

“We have the online courses being floated up for various students to take it on, it’s just like only after 2020 when the new education policy came up this got a bit of recognition,” says Prof. (Dr.) Sandeep Chakravorty, Executive President, Indus University, Ahmedabad in an interview with Chandan Anand, Founding Editor, ArdorComm Media Group at the ‘ArdorComm New Normal – Education Leadership Summit & Awards 2022’ #ELSAGujarat #ELSAAhmedabad Would you like to highlight some of the initiatives under your leadership of Indus University? Coming here actually I am a panel member for the new education policy so in that particular ground I would like to say that the new education policy which is focusing more on the Indian knowledge system and all so Indus University is one of I would say the pioneers in that particular field. We under Center for index studies under Indus University we have been working on these various aspects of ideology right from 2015 onwards so right from 2015 we are doing let us say online courses we are doing documentaries of great scholars who are working in this particular field. We have the online courses being floated up for various students to take it on, it’s just like only after 2020 when the new education policy came up this got a bit of recognition. I would say at the national level which we were already on a strong footing right from 2015 and our member or the director of that particular centre is also a member in the UGC in framing the curriculum and in hand holding the other institutes and universities so that whatever we have gained through this particular centre we are ready to also give it to the other universities and the institute and help them to establish this particular centre and see that the narrative of the Indian knowledge system is given to the students in the right perspective through the curriculum and through different programs. So, as you are aware that the event name is New Normal Education Leadership Summit and Awards, what does the word new normal for you stands? The New Normal here I would say that the evolving disruptive technologies that are coming up and how well we are training ourselves or upskilling ourselves or reskilling ourselves to take this particular challenge so that is the New Normal because things are changing very fast, technology is changing very fast and it is having an impact in every spear of our life and to a greater extent into the delivery. The teacher needs to change the way the things are being given to the students, the pedagogy change has to come up, the understanding change has to come up, the mindset change has to come up so that’s the new normal according to me that we need all need to be ready for. So, in this gathering we have seen that there are panel discussions going on representing by the government people, from the private sector players and we can see the edtech players and the corporates over here, how does certain forums or symposiums helps the overall education industries? A forum like this where you have tried to get everyone in the same platform I would say you have the ERP thing into, they are the infrastructure members also out here certain things onto the digital technology part also out here so it’s under one roof we come to know and discuss about all the various aspects and the challenges that we face and how as a team member put together we can put our best foot forward and see that things improve for the betterment of the students and we as a university or an Institute are in a better platform to give the best to our students. I think that’s one of the major contributions that this sort of a forum helps us into. I’m very happy and glad to share with you so we just celebrated our successful one year of existence, our anniversary any message would you like to give for ArdorComm Media Group? As it was just being spoken by you in the morning, you don’t have a physical office and you are a young I would say team full of enthusiasm full of energy trying to take up the challenges and trying to make a difference in every spear to the extent possible. To an extent as I told into my discussion also we also are a young team I am a young leader leading at young universities so it’s a lot of things common between ArdorComm Media and all you are doing a great job keep the job moving, keep the ball rolling and I wish all the very best and success in times to come and may you succeed in whichever ventures that you take up.