Fr. Dr. D. Sunder Reddy is the Principal at St. Joseph's Degree and PG College, Hyderabad. He has a wealth of experience in Leading Higher Educational Institutions. He obtained his Ph.D. in English Language Teaching apart from completing B. Ed, MPhil, MA and MBA. He has 13 years of experience in the field of education. Under his leadership, the Department of Business Management of St. Joseph’s Degree and PG College introduced two new UG courses and one PG Course. He was also awarded “Empyrean Educator Award for the Best Principal of the year 2019 by Rampros Education Society.

St. Joseph's Degree and PG College Hyderabad

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

“My passion to serve the education sector to make better citizens for the country”

Education is an important part of life and I truly believe in working in this sector for the upliftment of society. Lifelong learning is one of our programme outcomes, which is important in acquiring new knowledge and upgrading one's skills. Hence, the factors that keep me connected with the education sector are service to society and educating the youth. They are the backbone of the country’s development.

What is your philosophy of leadership and its implementation?

“The philosophy depends on value-based ideas to inspire and lead through action”

My educational philosophy of leadership would comprise developing a positive culture among students, staff, and community members. I provide my team with instruction and action to meet the mission and vision of the college. I wish to explicitly communicate with all stakeholders and passionately implement the above key components for creating a positive learning culture within the institution system. A true Leader is like an Orchestra drawing out everyone’s strength and achieving harmony.

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How do you plan for the marketing and administration of your school?

“Strategic planning and focus towards attracting the best talent of the industry”

Similar to any business, educational institutions have to market their brand. There are various strategies for marketing that we bring into picture:

  • We encourage the student’s community in all their academic and creative endeavours. 
  • We use video marketing during admissions to speak about the features and achievements of our college.
  • We collaborate with industries to increase our brand value and advertise the same on our website and social media.
  • The college prepares a SWOC analysis and draws the strategic plan for five years based on the vision of the institution. 
  • The strategic plan and the annual plan of the college are presented in IQAC and approved/ ratified in the governing body of the college.

Hence, for an effective administration, we have a clear plan to implement at the beginning of the academic year.

How does your curriculum ensure the best industry practices?

“Updated curriculum emphasizes on acquisition of skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving”

St.Joseph’s college practices a curriculum that is constantly reviewed and redesigned as per local and global developmental needs. A few of the USP’s of our syllabus are mentioned below:

  • Choice Based Credit System and Outcome Based Education.
  • Faculty are encouraged to attend various Professional Development Programmes.
  • Need analysis which forms the basis for curriculum review and enrichment process is carried through consultations.
  • The college has tie-up with Tech Mahindra, IBM, National Stock Exchange and Wiley for preparing the curriculum. 
  • The feedback is analyzed by the Curriculum Restructure Committee (CRC) and recommendations are presented in various Board of Studies.

What has been your vision for the College and its growth?

“To be a centre of excellence for quality management education” 

Our primary aim is to build ethical and socially conscious business leaders and entrepreneurs for Indian and Global organisations. We wish to develop a few important domains majorly. Hence, more thrust is given in the areas of Research and Consultancy, FDP, Entrepreneurship, curriculum design and modification as per industry needs. There is also a focus on faculty exchange programmes, Skill development, career development of students and formation of Alumni association.

What do you see as St. Joseph's Degree & PG College’s greatest strengths?

“Adoption of learner-centred teaching methodologies and qualified faculty”

Our Institution is located in the heart of the city and has a sprawling area. With a history of 24 years of service to society, in the field of education, we have NAAC Re-accreditation with an A Grade. We strongly believe in imparting holistic education through academic flexibility with the advent of autonomy. The curriculum and syllabi are updated annually keeping in mind the Programme Educational Outcomes, Industry Requirements, and Career Opportunities. There is a regular practice of organizing seminars, Guest Lectures (International), Workshops, Educational Tours and Field Trips for student development.

What are some of the biggest challenges you see for higher education?

“Maintaining continuous modification in the academic domain”

There are several challenges in today's higher education sector. The prominent ones being regarding attracting eminent Professors, Ph.D. Holders and Researchers on Campus to share their knowledge and experience with students. There should be sufficient motivation for faculty for Research/ R&D/ Innovation etc. Some other issues include resource mobilisation from Government, UGC and Private Agencies, global collaborations and attracting more companies for placement, internship and project work.

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

“To identify the value of time as every moment of youth is very costly”

The youth plays a great role in nation-building. To guarantee the youth’s interest in the national turn of events, the youth must get support from their parents as well as society. My suggestions to the youth can be well understood by the following points:

  • Upskill and re-skill based on the trends and industry requirements
  • Stop wasting time on social media like WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.
  • To be progressively vocal about the issues in the public arena.
  • Stick to high ideals 
  • To maintain discipline and do every work with tolerance.

What are some plans that you’re currently designing for the global exposure of your students?

“Plans to enhance collaborations with foreign educational institutions”

We are always on the lookout to provide global opportunities for our students and faculty members. Some of these include:

  • MoUs with Merrimack University, USA, Berjaya University, Malaysia and Dhaka University, Bangladesh.
  • Conducted faculty exchange programmes with Dhaka University in the areas of HR, Finance and Marketing.
  • Plans to have student exchange programmes and collaborative research programmes with the institutions.