Dr. Himangini Rathore Hooja is a dynamic professional with various skills like Designing, Analytical, observational, Research, and Leadership. She has completed her Bachelors in BA Hons. Psychology, Masters in Psychology, and Ph.D. in Psychology. She is currently working as Head, Department of Psychology at IIS (Deemed to be University), Jaipur, Rajasthan. She has done the general course on Intellectual Property Rights, and has also participated in various seminars, workshops, and the Faculty Development Programmes. 

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

Psychology is a subject that grows on you. The department creates an environment for students that encourages them to look beyond textbooks. They are encouraged to join various activities within the department and at the university level. As faculty members, we try and play different roles for students; sometimes we are friends, sometimes we are mentors, and sometimes we are just teachers. It is a mix of many roles that helps them grow and find their identity.

How do you establish healthy relations with the students and fellow faculty members?

Keep interacting, keep exploring different ways of communicating. With students, it has been my experience that we should not judge them. And once that is conveyed to them, you get to experience a whole new side of the class. 

With fellow faculty, I take cues from the previous leadership that helped me grow and take responsibility for the department. The most important learning has been that we are a team and no one should see the other person as a competition. “We are all in it together”

How do you try to bring in a practical approach to subjects and make them industry-oriented?

The department has a very hands-on approach. We have incorporated practical components in both the B.A./B.Sc. and M.A./M.Sc. programmes. The students conduct research at both graduate and post-graduate levels, conduct and interpret psychometric tests, and attend internships (minimum 30 days) during the duration of the program. 

The department also runs a Professional Diploma in Clinical Psychology (Approved by Rehabilitation Council of India, Government of India), a year-long clinical training program. The students, upon successful completion of the programme, will be equipped to function as Clinical psychologists (Associate).

How do you strategize the curriculum, and how often is it updated to suit student requirements?

The curriculum for each program is seen as creating a foundation that students can keep building upon. Each programme’s curriculum starts from the basics and extends to the most relevant and latest approaches in the subject. The relevant parts of the curriculum are updated annually.

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What are your views on the placements and higher education of the students from your department?

The students of the department can function in various job positions. Our Alumni have gone ahead and established themselves as entrepreneurs, trainers, psychologists, and faculty, and psychology has nurtured them in discovering their passion in other fields. A lot of our students have chosen to pursue higher education abroad and lately, we have seen them explore practical training experience/internships and then decide on further educational options.

How do you help your student cope with the highly competitive world?

We try and build an environment that creates security in how students view themselves within the environment they function in and how they see the future. Through this process, the students create an identity for themselves and can identify the strengths that help them grow further.

Do you have any extracurricular activities/ programs to enhance the students' skills or expose them to real-world challenges?

Yes, extracurricular activities such as cultural fest, sports facilities, seminars and industrial visits are held to engage students and help them to enhance their overall personality.

What are the challenges you faced/ are facing to uplift the quality of education of your department?

The past two years have been challenging for everyone in so many ways due to the pandemic, and now post-pandemic, the focus is on reorienting ourselves. Getting back to normalcy!! We have been able to use technology to our advantage. The faculty was very quick to use online tools and make teacher-student interactions meaningful. Post-pandemic, I suppose, all of us are more tuned into helping the students realign their ideas of the future and how they can achieve them. So the aim has been to try and cultivate a holistic approach toward a better future.

What are the interventions and approaches you bring in apart from the curriculum to train/teach the students?

In a subject like psychology, the focus is on learning skills that will be useful in conducting sessions across settings. Using techniques like Role-playing, Case studies, Internships, conducting workshops, and experiential learning techniques are a significant part of the skill learning aspect of the subject.

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What valuable advice would you give to the students for them to have a prosperous career ahead?

Be excited to learn new things, seek out what you want to do, and keep exploring what you would like to do next!!