Dr. Pooja Choraria has been working as the Head of the Physical and Computing Science Department at IIS University, Jaipur, Rajasthan. She has published 6 research papers in collaboration with others in various national and international journals. She has also attended numerous national and international level seminars and workshops and has presented research papers there. Apart from this, she has done B. Sc. (Computer Science and Statistics), M. Sc. (Statistics), and Ph.D. (Statistics) as part of her academics. She specialises in Executive Data Science, Biostatistics in Public Health, SAS Visual Business Analytics, Six Sigma Green Belt, Design of Experiment, Health Information Literacy for Data Analytics, Effective Communication: Writing, Design, and Presentation, and has completed 15 certificate courses.

IIS University

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

Being the HOD of Statistics Discipline, my role requires me to lead, manage and develop the department along with the cooperation of fellow faculty members to ensure it achieves the highest possible standards of excellence in all its activities, in a positive, encouraging, and effective manner. At the same time, I pay special attention to the development and better experience of the students so that they can progress equally and get a better grip on their subject.

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

I endeavor that no doubts arise regarding any topic and therefore insist on a clear conversation and proper communication to help students and fellow faculty members in better understanding and good relationships. I try to have everyone work with cooperation and have a positive attitude to maintain peace and harmony. 

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

I firmly believe that practical knowledge helps a lot in learning the subject and in doing so also makes the topic simpler. For this purpose, with the help of classroom activities with the students, continuous efforts should be made to make the study interesting. Guest lectures conducted by subject experts and enterprise experts also help capture the students' interest. Additionally, our projects include surveys so that students can experience practical knowledge. 

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

I believe the goal today should be to create tools for students to hone their skills and talents through knowledge that they can do something similar with their careers. For this purpose, we analyze current teaching practices and learning goals. The annual BOS meeting is where the syllabus is reviewed and appropriate updates made. During this process, curriculum feedback and suggestions taken from students and faculty members are discussed and restructured accordingly.

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

Confucius once said, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." This world-famous quote holds just as much truth today. Doing something that you enjoy doesn't feel like a burden. But when a student is unaware of their career prospects and starts questioning his ability, it is problematic. In such cases, we familiarise students with the options that work to give the right direction to their careers. An introduction to the career prospects this programme can offer helps students understand the usefulness of higher studies. Students from our department are placed in good government jobs and find employment in various industries. Many students have also enrolled in reputable institutions of higher education, national and international.

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

If you start enjoying the work, then that work does not create any burden or pressure and also increases your chances of success. At times, students feel mental pressure about the subject. It is our duty not to let them feel the burden of studying. Along with studies, we try to help the students understand and identify subject-related career opportunities inculcated for their future comfort and improved performance in real-world competitions. Also, we guide them to partake in group discussions and enhance their personality to be on par with the outside competition.

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

We plan and execute activities at regular intervals amongst the students to give them real-world competition experience and hone their skills. Group discussions among students allow them to present their ideas and work on them, as well as understand concepts. Presenting their ideas and subject knowledge instills confidence in them which is very helpful in their development.

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

A basic challenge in our department is to run parallel with the market needs and demands. Fulfilling the practical software requirements of the subject is difficult. Also, upgrading ourselves along with current teaching strategies involving technology is challenging.

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

Appropriate feedback is provided to the students to understand the suitability of their work and performance, as well as their progress, which, monitored continuously, makes it easier for students to understand clear study objectives to keep the subject interesting. Students are encouraged to cooperate, which leads to better exchange of information, topic-specific technologies applied in the classroom, and work done to improve behavior management.

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

In this competitive and stressful current scenario, I would advise preventing study from becoming a burden. Study regularly and discuss questions and issues related to the subject openly with classmates and teachers. Make good use of the time. Give your mind a lot of rest. Along with the study, give time to those extracurricular activities which give you mental and physical energy. Don't just run after success but give importance to excellence. We are trying our best for your bright future. Keep growing your skills and knowledge. Be focused and pursue your passion.