Mr. Darpan Kungwani has been working as the Training Officer at Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur, Rajasthan. He was born in Mumbai and has lived in the Metropolitan city since birth. He was passionate about studying and exploring things on his own, as a result of which he mostly spent his time reading Encyclopedias and Greek Mythology and be it debate, extempore, JAM, or performing arts, he was always at the forefront due to his love for public speaking. He completed his Graduation in Banking and Insurance and M.Com in Business Management from the prestigious N.M College of Mumbai. He is also a CSSC certified lean six sigma level 1 black belt holder and has done Diploma in Social Psychology, Diploma in Psychology and a Certification in Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health. Apart from all this, he has cleared CFA level 1 exam and is a certified level 5 TEFL instructor. Before joining SGVU, he worked as a Visiting Faculty for many reputed institutions of Mumbai including Dalmia College and Patkar College. And at SGVU, he looks after the employability skills training of all the students. His passion towards teaching stems from his desire to make learning as simple and as engaging as possible and he believes in igniting curiosity toward a subject because that is what facilitates learning. He is a firm believer of mixing technology with traditional pedagogy to create superior results and in his spare time, he enjoys tinkering with computers, trying different cuisines and listening to jazz.

Suresh Gyan Vihar University Jaipur

With the growing popularity of Skill India and Start-up India campaigns, why do you think education and skills are intertwined? And why India is now focusing on skill development by providing universities grants to B.Voc courses?

In the 21st century, mere education does not fulfill the requirements that today’s ultra-competitive corporate sector has from its talent pool. People who do the bare minimum of merely educating themselves are at a distinct disadvantage as compared to those who educate themselves and focus on upskilling themselves. It is imperative that the future talent pool becomes more well-rounded and focuses on both hard skills and soft skills. We must realize that focusing simply on education and not on developing skills creates something known as “LITERATE UNEMPLOYABLES”, a set of people who only have knowledge that is limited to their domain, but that knowledge is neither sufficient nor is it backed by skills which are needed to get hired.
India is now on the cusp of being the next superpower. The dream of having a 5 trillion-dollar economy is not merely a dream but a certain future for which the wheels are already set into motion. It is for this reason that educational institutions, organizations and people have started realizing that learning must transcend from the books to practicality. It is for this very reason that both funding and effort is being given towards vocational training and skills development
 

What extracurricular activities are organized by your University to enhance the skills of students?

The university is very keen on creating students that have holistic development. Various events, youth festivals and competitions take place which ensure that students get a hands-on learning experience and a skill demonstration opportunity. SGVU is focused on developing a talent pool which is both competent and competitive at the global level.

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When you joined the SGVU, what was your vision for it and how are you trying to achieve the same?

When I came to the university, I was very clear that I wanted to transform the way our students showcase and demonstrate themselves. I wanted to create ambassadors for the university. The aim is to create students that set themselves apart from the crowd. They are easily recognizable as SGVUites simply because of the way they conduct themselves and the respect their personality commands whenever they meet someone. I handle the soft skill training for the entire university. There is special focus on imparting 21st century skills like communication, leadership, negotiation, persuasion, confidence building etc. Special work is being done on imparting strong English Skills which are important for being competitive at the global level.

How does your University enhance the skills of Faculty members and prepare them as per industry standards?

A lot of seminars, workshops and teacher training programs take place to ensure that the teachers are in touch with the modern pedagogical practices. A big emphasis is placed on doing research and publishing research papers which adds to the knowledge base of other teachers as well students. The university has a world-class library which is home to some of the best authored books and research material, which help the teachers get access to the best teaching resources.

What challenges are you facing in uplifting the education quality of your university? 

Since I take the training for the entire university, the biggest challenge that I face is the difference in the learning levels of the students. I tackle this by customizing the work that I do according to the department that I take, and special attention is paid to the critical requirements of each department. Another big thing that I notice which students face is hesitation and nervousness when trying to deal with this type of training. For this very reason, I keep my session participative and practical. I try to create a safe space for the students. Mistakes are encouraged because only when I see mistakes, do I get a chance to teach them what is right. I believe in creating safe space for the students where they get every opportunity to voice their perspectives, learn new things and become the best version of themselves.

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

The advice that I would like to give to all the students is that the outcome of any activity that you do, should not determine your self-worth. What you feel about yourself should not be measured by the result of an exam or the selection/rejection in an interview. Life is much more than these small things. Focus on being the best version of yourself and always be inquisitive in life. Never stop learning because that is what causes stagnation. Always remember that “You grow through what you go through”. Challenges aren’t something to shy away from, they are opportunities to learn and be better.