Dr. S. Santhanakrishnan has been working as the Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering Department at Meenakshi Sundararajan Engineering College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He has a Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Engineering and PhD Degree in Mechanical Engineering as part of his academics. He has more than 10 years of teaching and research experience. His research areas are Internal Combustion Engine, Alternative Fuel and Emission Control. He has published more than 15 articles in highly reputed international journals and has also presented 5 papers in the international and national conferences. He has more than 120 citations and good h-Indexed (7) by Scopus. He is also the reviewer of water science and technology and sustainable energy technologies and assessments.

MSEC Chennai

Being a Faculty of the MSEC, what are your responsibilities towards the students?

"To offer good quality technical and ethical education to students"

As a faculty at MSEC, my responsibility is to impart good quality knowledge to students, assist them to solve their academic doubts and work collaboratively with them in their project work. I also keep encouraging them to publish more journals and file the patent.

How do you establish healthy relations with the students?

"I interact with them on regular basis to understand and resolve their academic and personal issues"

To ensure a good relationship with my students, I use the two-by-ten strategy. And it means that, everyday I personally interact with each student for just 2 minutes everyday for 10 consecutive days, to listen to their academic and non-academic issues and understand things from their point of view. 

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

For the purpose of implementing industry oriented and practical approaches towards subjects, we keep updating ourselves with the latest trends and technologies of the educational and industrial world and the same thing we try to implement in our classroom teaching methodologies. Industry people are also invited during workshops to share their inputs, experiences and expectations with us. By doing so, we get fresh ideas and inspiration to improve our teaching pedagogy. 

Which best practices are offered by your department to the students to help them gain necessary skills?

We regularly conduct events like corporate sessions, lectures, professional visits and international conferences. In addition to this, placement related training, counseling sessions, personality grooming classes, summer training and internships are offered by us to them. 

How do you strategize and update the curriculum to make it befitting for the students?

We do follow an outcome based curriculum and the main objective behind adopting this approach is to strengthen students' knowledge by setting realistic goals for them and for faculty as well. Because if we have an idea of the outcome, we can easily lay out a plan to reach that goal. 

How does your department prepare students for Higher education?

Doing a work placement definitely improves your confidence. The work atmosphere provides you with a classroom Identifying motorizing the student. Practically performing a task in a work placement gives you the boost of confidence required to face an actual job.

Check Meenakshi Sundararajan Engineering College (MSEC) Chennai Courses & Fees

How do you prepare your students to cope up with this competitive world?

"By encouraging them to believe in their capabilities and keep enhancing their knowledge"

We encourage our students to keep enhancing their skills and to keep participating in competitions where they will get opportunities to utilize their skills. We also make them realize that they are their only competition because if you are confident and courageous enough to face this world, half of the work is already done. 

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

"We have given a platform to them to showcase their projects via Societal Beneficiary Innovation Program"

Every year our college conducts a Societal Beneficiary Innovation Program where students submit their project proposals and best project ideas receive funding from Management and Industries. 

How does the curriculum of your college ensure the best practices of industry?

"It is prepared after including suggestions of industry experts and best academicians"

The curriculum of our college is developed after rigorous analysis of industrial demands and through collaboration between industry people and college faculty. But ideally, we want university programmes to be developed in such a way that is able to keep up with the fast changing needs of the industry. 

How does your college enhance the skills of faculty and prepare them as per industry standards?

"By offering them best research opportunities and industrial exposure"

Our college has signed MOUs with other institutions, industries and corporate firms for the benefit of students and for collaborative research and development work as well. Overall benefit of this will be enhanced education quality and teaching-learning practices, and this in return will lead to students, faculty and institute growth.

What approaches do you bring in apart from curriculum to teach the students?

"In addition to regular courses, we offer value based courses to students"

We provide a wide range of value-added courses to students for the purpose of enhancing their research skills, broadening their subject knowledge and helping them to learn new things related to technology.

Click Meenakshi Sundararajan Engineering College (MSEC) Chennai Placements

What do you see as your college’s greatest strengths and how can it be enhanced?

"Our association with reputed organizations and our placement records makes us strong"

Our institute has done collaboration with numerous reputed Industries and research organizations for the purpose of joint research and development work. There is huge potential in our department for consultancy, technology and product incubation. Our college has a stellar record of 95% placement and we do offer finest quality education to students. So in my viewpoint, all these factors together help us to stay strong and resilient.

Any valuable advice which you would like to give to the students to have a prosperous career ahead?

"Choose your career carefully depending on your passion and skill set"

I would advise my students and our youths to choose that job which you really love doing and where you can give your full efforts. Because following your interest and passion will help you to learn new things rapidly and efficiently.