Dr.Rohit Kandakatla is presently working as Director - Strategy, Operations, and HR Management at KG Reddy College of Engineering and Technology, Hyderabad. Having a dynamic experience in teaching and academic administration, he has been awarded with the Young Engineering Educator Scholarship by National Science Foundation (NSF), IUCEE Young Leader Award, 2015 and IGIP SPEED Young Scientist Award for the year 2014. He has previously served as the President of the Student Platform for Engineering Education Development (SPEED) and the Vice-President for Student Engagement of the International Federation for Engineering Education Societies (IFEES). 

KG Reddy College of Engineering and Technology

What are the key factors that keep you connected with the education sector?

“Dynamic outcomes of successful education and empowerment of youth”

My connection with the education sector is primarily driven by passion towards education in general. I believe through the right education system and policies, all future generations and youth could be empowered and given the right to lead their life according to their interest and choice. The right education system could contribute to the eradication of discrimination based on gender, caste, socio-economic status as well, and help the country in harnessing its true potential towards economic development. This belief of mine has always motivated me to get involved in the education sector. I also find it very interesting to track the progress of students through academic programs and specifically looking at them developing the competencies required to succeed in the 21 st century.

How would you describe your leadership style?

“Regular transformation and motivation for my teammates”

My approach to leadership, fundamentally, is to provide a transformative experience to stakeholders in the institution including faculty, staff, student etc. I believe each individual is different with their own strengths and weaknesses and it’s important to help them identify those. I focus on helping all students or faculty in the institution by ensuring they are constantly making progress on their professional journey. I motivate them to become life-long learners so they can regularly assess themselves and identify how they can keep updating their skills and knowledge. I always encourage critical and constructive feedback and it helps us identify our weaknesses and work on improving that. In this process, I make sure to give regular feedback and also take feedback from others on how I can be better at the role as the Director of the institution.

How do you strategize about the key plans for the administration of your college?

“Embarked guidelines from national level agencies and academic associations”

The engineering education landscape in India is fast changing in the 21st century and it is important for all institutions to adapt accordingly. I go about coming up with my strategy by benchmarking ourselves with the various accreditation and other government and private ranking criteria. In India, institutions are accredited with NAAC at the institute level and by NBA at department level,with a set of parameters for assessment and those parameters become the primary elements of the strategic plan. We reverse engineer and prepare our strategy plan with a goal to achieve all the criteria listed by the accreditation agencies. The government has also come up with national level rankings such as NIRF, ARIAA which are calculated on specific parameters and all of these collectively help us in strategizing our efforts for successful administration. 

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What can an inbound student gain from studying here in your college?

“Wider approaches for professional development and learning”

At KGRCET, we work towards imparting new-age engineering to all students which is in line with the education system in most foreign universities. All our faculty are encouraged to implement innovative teaching practices that will enable students to be active learners in the classroom. Outside the classroom, students are made to work on hands-on projects addressing complex real-world problems. This enables students to become innovators by proposing potential solutions to address the problems identified, and later, design and develop prototypes. Students who build market viable products are encouraged to develop business models and explore opportunities to startup and incubate their products and services. All of our innovative teaching and learning practices help students build 21st century engineering skills such as creative thinking, problem solving, communication, teamwork, project management, etc. These new-age engineering skills collectively contribute to the holistic development of our students and prepare them to emerge as leaders in their respective industries.

What do you think should be the College’s top priority over the next 5 years?

“Advanced facilities and global alliance to mark a journey”

In a world that is fast changing, it’s important to keep adapting to the changes in industry and the education system. Few of our top priorities already listed as part of our strategic plan include research and innovation, entrepreneurship and incubation developments for students to have a comprehensive learning experience. Also, we strive to establish international collaborations and standard quality of placements so that we can contribute our best to the socio-economic development of the nation.

What do you see as your college’s greatest strengths?

“Admirable learning atmosphere and responsiveness towards students”

We boast an eco-friendly campus which is supported by state-of-art infrastructure to enable our faculty and students to keep growing professionally. Most of our faculty are young and passionate about engineering education and always thinking about innovating and improving our teaching learning process. Our “Student First” policy ensures students' voices are always heard and addressed so that they have a memorable and transformative experience during their time at KGRCET. The major strength of our institution is the new-age approach towards engineering that will nurture all our students to become thought leaders in respective fields upon graduation. 

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What would you like people to know about your college they may not know?

“Diverse opportunities in terms of placements and research”

KGRCET is located just 30 minutes away from HiTech city and therefore is around the vicinity of many multinational companies. The close proximity allows us to invite many of the top companies to recruit our new-age engineers who are ready to graduate. The faculty in the institution actively engage in research through independent research projects, PhD research, government funded research projects, and consultancy projects with industry. The research culture in the institution promotes active engagement and conduction of research among faculty and students. Students who are interested in pursuing post-graduate education can get engaged in the research work that will improve their chances of getting selected in the best universities worldwide.

Any message you would like to give to the aspiring students?

“Pick your college with utmost care and responsibility”

The years spent in any college or institution during graduation are, according to me, the most crucial years in everyone's life as they help define your identity as an adult and soon to be professional. It is of utmost importance to pick the right college who can contribute to our overall development and shape your future after graduation. I would therefore recommend students to also critically evaluate the teaching and learning process and strategies being incorporated for your holistic and overall development, while opting for a college. It must build skills such as life-long learning and leadership which will contribute to your development through the rest of your career.